Core Insights - OÜ HHL Rühm has increased its stake in AS Ekspress Grupp to 73.57% following a recent transaction, acquiring 7,963,307 shares from Hans Luik [1][2] Company Overview - AS Ekspress Grupp is a leading Baltic media group involved in web media content production, publishing newspapers, magazines, and books, as well as operating an electronic ticket sales platform in Latvia and Estonia [2] - The company also provides digital outdoor screen services in Estonia and Latvia and organizes conferences, training, and events primarily in Estonia and Lithuania, with operations commencing in 1989 and employing around 1,000 people [2]

Core Insights - News Corporation (NWSA) is valued at approximately $15.1 billion and operates as a global media and information services company, distributing content across various platforms [1] Performance Overview - NWSA has underperformed the broader market, with stock prices declining 3% year-to-date (YTD) and 8.4% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 Index gained 14.4% in 2025 and 12.7% over the past year [2] - The company also lagged behind the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF Fund (XLC), which saw gains of 15.8% YTD and 16% over the past 52 weeks [3] Recent Financial Results - Following the release of Q1 results on Nov. 6, NWSA's stock surged 6.5% in a single trading session, with a 2% year-over-year growth in topline revenue to $2.1 billion, exceeding expectations by 1.5% [4] - Adjusted EPS for the quarter increased 10% year-over-year to $0.22, surpassing consensus estimates by 22.2% [4] Future Earnings Expectations - For the full fiscal 2026, analysts expect NWSA to deliver an adjusted EPS of $0.97, reflecting a 9% year-over-year increase [5] - The company has a mixed earnings surprise history, missing bottom-line expectations once in the past four quarters while meeting or exceeding projections three times [5] Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Among 10 analysts covering NWSA, the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy," consisting of eight "Strong Buys," one "Hold," and one "Strong Sell" [5] - JP Morgan analyst David Karnovsky maintained an "Overweight" rating and raised the price target from $38 to $40, with a mean price target of $39.10 indicating a 46.3% premium to current price levels [7] - The street-high target of $45 suggests a potential upside of 68.4% [7]

HHL Rühm Osaühing (a company registered in Estonia with registry code 10743222, „HHL Rühm“ or “Offeror”) announces its intention to make a voluntary takeover bid to all shareholders of Aktsiaselts Ekspress Grupp („Ekspress Grupp“) to acquire all shares of Ekspress Grupp not held by the Offeror (“Bid”). The Offeror wishes to increase its shareholding in Ekspress Grupp to 90%. Following successful Bid the Offeror intends to apply for takeover of the remaining shares according to § 1821 of the Estonian Securit ...

Core Insights - Ekspress Grupp's revenue continued to grow in Q3 2025 and the first nine months, driven by investments in conference business, ticket sales, and digital outdoor screens [1][9] - Digital subscriptions for media companies within the Group saw strong growth, contributing significantly to overall revenue [2][11] Revenue Performance - Q3 2025 revenue increased by EUR 1.1 million (+6%) year-over-year, totaling EUR 17.9 million [1][7] - Revenue for the first nine months of 2025 rose by EUR 3.6 million (+7%) year-over-year, reaching EUR 56.3 million [1][8] - Key growth contributors included the Estonian Training and Conference Centre and UAB Kenton Baltic, along with Delfi Lithuania's AI project [1][9] Digital Revenue - Digital revenue for the first nine months increased by 5% year-over-year, with a total of 245 thousand digital subscriptions by the end of Q3 2025, reflecting a 10% increase in new subscriptions [2][11] - Digital revenue accounted for 85% of total revenue at the end of Q3 2025, slightly down from 86% in the previous year [11][20] Ticket Sales and Outdoor Screens - Revenue from ticket sales platforms grew by 6% in Q3 2025, while outdoor screen revenue increased by 1% [3][20] - The number of outdoor screens expanded to 159, with notable growth in the Latvian market [3] Profitability Metrics - EBITDA for Q3 2025 was EUR 2.4 million, a 21% increase year-over-year, with an EBITDA margin of 13% [4][13] - EBITDA for the first nine months remained stable at EUR 5.5 million, with a margin of 10% [4][13] Net Profit - Consolidated net profit for Q3 2025 was EUR 2.4 million, up from EUR 0.3 million in Q3 2024 [5][14] - The first nine months of 2025 saw a net profit of EUR 1.9 million, significantly higher than EUR 0.1 million in the same period last year [5][14] Cash Position and Liquidity - As of September 30, 2025, the Group had available cash of EUR 9.0 million, up from EUR 5.4 million a year earlier [6][15] - The Group's liquidity remains strong, with a focus on maintaining reserves for potential acquisitions and economic uncertainties [6] Expenses Overview - Operating expenses for Q3 2025 totaled EUR 15.5 million, a 2% increase year-over-year, driven by costs associated with newly acquired businesses [12][20] - For the first nine months, operating expenses rose by 7% to EUR 51.1 million [12][20] Segment Performance - The media segment's revenue for Q3 2025 was EUR 17.8 million, a 6% increase from the previous year, while the first nine months saw a 7% increase to EUR 56.2 million [20][23] - Advertising revenue faced a decline of 2% in Q3 and 5% in the first nine months, indicating pressure on media companies' advertising sales [20][24]

Core Insights - News Corporation (NWSA) is valued at $15.1 billion and operates as a global media and information services company, distributing content across various platforms including newspapers, digital media, book publishing, and subscription video services [1] Financial Performance - NWSA is set to report its first-quarter results on November 6, with analysts expecting an adjusted EPS of $0.18, a decrease of 14.3% from $0.21 in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full fiscal year 2026, NWSA is projected to achieve an adjusted EPS of $0.97, reflecting a 9% increase from $0.89 in fiscal 2025, with further growth expected in fiscal 2027 to $1.21 per share, a 24.7% year-over-year increase [3] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, NWSA stock has seen a marginal increase of 64 basis points, significantly underperforming the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF Fund (XLC) which surged 27.5% and the S&P 500 Index which returned 18.3% [4] - Following the release of better-than-expected Q4 results on August 5, NWSA's stock prices increased by 48 basis points, despite a notable drop in revenues from book publishing and news media segments [5] Analyst Ratings - Analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating for NWSA, with 8 out of 10 analysts recommending "Strong Buy," 1 "Hold," and 1 "Strong Sell." The mean price target of $39.10 indicates a potential upside of 46.6% from current levels [6]

Core Points - AS Ekspress Grupp's Latvian subsidiary AS Delfi is facing an insolvency application filed by SIA Ekis & Co-Positioning and Consulting over a contractual dispute related to advertising services [1] - The dispute is characterized as a standard commercial issue regarding contested invoices, which should be resolved through legal channels rather than insolvency proceedings [2] - The claim amount in question is 200,000 euros, and the dispute does not affect Delfi Latvia's daily operations or its financial position [3] Company Overview - AS Delfi is a significant component of the Baltic region's largest media group, with a revenue of 5.5 million euros and a profit of 594,281 euros in 2024 [4] - The company meets all contractual obligations, including those related to state-funded media projects [4] - AS Ekspress Grupp, established in 1989, is the leading Baltic media group, involved in web media content production, publishing, electronic ticket sales, and organizing events, employing around 1,000 people [4]

Group 1 - AS Ekspress Grupp's Latvian subsidiary AS Delfi had a plan to reduce share capital, which was cancelled on September 19, 2025, as part of regular financial structure planning related to the sale of a stake in SIA Altero [1] - The cancelled share capital reduction has no impact on the daily operations or financial position of AS Delfi or AS Ekspress Grupp [1] - The share capital reduction plan is unrelated to a business dispute with SIA Ekis & Co-Positioning and Consulting, which involves advertising sales management for the news portal LA.lv [2] Group 2 - AS Delfi generated revenue of 5.5 million euros and a profit of 594,281 euros in 2024, fulfilling all contractual obligations including state-funded media projects [3] - AS Ekspress Grupp is the leading media group in the Baltic region, involved in web media content production, publishing, electronic ticket sales, and organizing events [3] - The Group employs approximately 1,000 people and has been operational since 1989 [3]

Core Insights - News Corporation (NWS) is valued at approximately $19.2 billion and operates as a global media and information services company, distributing content across various platforms including newspapers, digital media, book publishing, and subscription video services [1] - NWS is categorized as a "large-cap stock" due to its market capitalization exceeding $10 billion, indicating its substantial size and influence in the communication services sector [2] Stock Performance - NWS reached an all-time high of $35.58 on August 6 and is currently trading 4.7% below that peak, with a nearly 5% gain over the past three months, which is significantly lower than the S&P 500 Index's 11.4% increase during the same period [3] - Year-to-date, NWS stock has gained 11.5% and has increased 21.7% over the past 52 weeks, although it has underperformed compared to the S&P 500's 13.3% gains in 2025, while outperforming the S&P's 16.6% returns over the past year [4] Financial Results - Following the release of better-than-expected Q4 results on August 5, NWS stock prices saw a 1.1% increase. The company's revenues from book publishing and news media segments experienced a notable decline, while revenues from Dow Jones and digital real estate services showed significant growth [5] - NWS reported total sales of $2.1 billion, reflecting an 81 basis points year-over-year increase, slightly above market expectations. Total segment EBITDA rose by 5% to $322 million, and adjusted EPS was $0.19, down 5% year-over-year but exceeding consensus estimates by 5.6% [5] Comparative Analysis - Despite solid performance, NWS has lagged behind Fox Corporation (FOXA), which saw a 24.8% increase in 2025 and 49.8% gains over the past year [6] - Among analysts covering NWS, the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy," with a mean price target of $39.67, indicating a potential upside of 17% [6]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of liquidity in assessing a company's ability to meet debt obligations and suggests that companies with adequate liquidity can drive business growth and deliver higher returns [1][2][3] Group 1: Liquidity Measures - Current Ratio: A measure of current assets relative to current liabilities, with an ideal range of 1-3 indicating a healthy balance [4] - Quick Ratio: Indicates a company's ability to pay short-term obligations, with a desirable ratio of more than 1 [5] - Cash Ratio: The most conservative measure, focusing on cash and cash equivalents relative to current liabilities, with a ratio greater than 1 being desirable but potentially indicating inefficiency [6] Group 2: Screening Parameters - Asset Utilization: A measure of efficiency, calculated as total sales over the last 12 months divided by the average total assets, with a higher ratio than the industry average indicating efficiency [7] - Growth Score: A proprietary measure added to ensure that liquid and efficient stocks have solid growth potential, with a score of A or B indicating better performance [8] Group 3: Stock Recommendations - The New York Times Company (NYT): Reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of 58 cents, exceeding estimates, with total revenues of $685.9 million, a 9.7% year-over-year increase [11][12] - Dillard's, Inc. (DDS): Reported second-quarter 2025 net sales of $1.5 billion, up 1.6% year over year, with adjusted earnings per share of $4.66, surpassing estimates by 23% [14][15] - Newmont Corporation (NEM): Achieved second-quarter revenues of approximately $5.32 billion, a 20.8% increase from the prior year, driven by higher gold prices [17][18] - Frontdoor, Inc. (FTDR): Reported revenues of $617 million for the last quarter, a 14% year-over-year increase, with a gross margin expansion of 130 basis points to 58% [20][21]

Core Insights - Ekspress Grupp's revenue continued to grow in Q2 2025, driven by investments in conference business, ticket sales, and digital outdoor screens, despite facing pressure on advertising sales due to a weak economic environment in the Baltic States [1][2]. Revenue Performance - The revenue for Q2 2025 increased by EUR 1.8 million (+9%) year-over-year, totaling EUR 21.4 million, while the revenue for the first half of 2025 increased by EUR 2.6 million (+7%) to EUR 38.4 million [2][8]. - Key contributors to growth included the Estonian Training and Convention Centre and UAB Kenton Baltic, along with Delfi Lithuania's AI project and growth in digital subscriptions and ticket sales [2][9]. Digital Revenue Insights - Digital revenue for the first six months of 2025 increased by 2% year-over-year, but the share of digital revenue in total revenue decreased from 87% to 83% due to the acquisition of the training business [3][11]. - The Group added over 22,000 new digital subscriptions (+10%) in the Baltic States, reaching a total of 245,000 subscriptions by the end of Q2 2025 [3]. Ticket Sales and Outdoor Screens - Revenue from ticket sales platforms increased by 13% year-over-year, while the outdoor screen business grew by 3%, supported by an expansion to 156 screens [4]. Profitability Metrics - EBITDA for Q2 2025 totaled EUR 2.8 million, a decrease of EUR 0.2 million (-7%) year-over-year, with a margin of 13% [5][13]. - The net profit for Q2 2025 was EUR 1.1 million, an increase of EUR 0.1 million (+6%), but the Group incurred a net loss of EUR -0.5 million for the first half of the year, which is EUR 0.3 million higher than the previous year [5][14]. Cash Position and Dividends - As of June 30, 2025, the Group had available cash of EUR 7.2 million, an increase from EUR 5.5 million a year earlier, and paid a dividend of EUR 0.06 per share totaling EUR 1.86 million [6][19]. Segment Overview - The media segment's revenue for Q2 2025 was EUR 21.4 million, with advertising revenue declining by 8% year-over-year [20]. - The share of revenue from digital channels was 83% in Q2 2025, down from 90% in Q2 2024, reflecting the impact of new business acquisitions [21].