News (US:NWS)2025-05-08 22:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net income from continuing operations increased by 67% to $107 million in Q3 2025 compared to the prior year, while revenues were $2 billion, up 1% despite currency headwinds [6][24] - Total segment EBITDA rose 12%, with overall margin expanding from 13% to 14.4% [6][24] - Adjusted revenues increased by 2%, and adjusted total segment EBITDA grew by 15% [7][24] - Reported EPS from continuing operations doubled to $0.14, while adjusted EPS was $0.17 compared to $0.13 a year ago [7][24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Dow Jones: Revenue grew by 6% to $575 million, with digital revenue accounting for 82% of total segment revenues [25][26] - Digital Real Estate: Revenues increased by 5% to $406 million, with segment EBITDA up 19% [28] - Book Publishing: Revenue rose by 2% to $514 million, with EBITDA increasing by 3% [33] - News Media: Revenue decreased by 8% to $514 million, but segment EBITDA grew by 22% [34] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Dow Jones digital circulation revenue expanded by 14%, with total consumer subscriptions surpassing 6 million [11][25] - REA maintained a significant audience lead, with nearly four times as many average monthly visits as Domain [14] - News Corp Australia's news.com.au achieved 292 million page views per month, making it the number one digital news brand [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on three core pillars of growth: Dow Jones, digital real estate, and book publishing, following the sale of Foxtel [7][22] - Continuous exploration of structural options to maximize shareholder returns is emphasized, with a commitment to quality journalism [9][62] - The company aims to enhance its digital offerings and capitalize on the growth of AI while protecting its intellectual property [10][9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management believes the current political turbulence is temporary and anticipates robust growth potential in the U.S. economy [5][6] - The company is monitoring economic trends closely and expects the direct impact of tariffs to be immaterial [22] - Future growth is expected to be driven by the professional information business and digital revenue streams [35][46] Other Important Information - The sale of Foxtel resulted in a significant reduction of debt on the balance sheet and provided cash for further investments [7][8] - The company has been upgraded to investment grade by Moody's and S&P, enhancing its financial flexibility [8][53] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Dow Jones investment rate for Q4 - Management indicated no significant increase in investment, focusing on both consumer and professional information business growth [38][40] Question: Impact of Factiva dispute on Q4 - A smaller impact from the Factiva dispute is expected in Q4 compared to Q3, with ongoing improvements anticipated [44][46] Question: Capital allocation strategy and M&A opportunities - The company is focused on its three core pillars for potential acquisitions and will not overpay for businesses [51][52] Question: Simplification of the company structure - Management highlighted the Foxtel deal as an example of their willingness to make significant structural decisions for shareholder benefit [57][60] Question: Dow Jones subscriber pricing strategy - The strategy to convert promotional subscribers to higher-paying plans is proceeding well, with a 7% increase in total subscriptions [65][66] Question: Churn impact from pricing changes - Management is learning about price elasticity and aims to reduce churn while maximizing revenue through dynamic pricing strategies [70][71]