News Corp. reported fiscal second quarter earnings on Thursday for the period ended December 31, with sales at Harper Collins of $531 million, a 14 percent decline from $617 million in 2021, attributed to lower book sales “due to slowing consumer demand industry-wide, difficult frontlist comparisons and some logistical constraints at Amazon.” The strong dollar accounted for $22 million of the decline. The “softness” in sales was “notably in North America.” EBITDA was $51 million, down 52 percent from $107 million last year, due to those same lower sales trends, as well as “ongoing supply chain, inventory and inflationary pressures […]
Publishers
Pearson to Cut Costs in 2023, Focused on Higher Ed
Pearson released a brief trading update for the fourth quarter and full year 2022, ahead of their full results for the year on March 3. “Underlying” sales were down 1 percent for the quarter but up 5 percent for the year, and adjusted operating profit for the year was up 11 percent to £455 million. The company saw growth for the year in all segments except for Higher Education, which dropped 4 percent, at approximately £900 million, “an expected, albeit reduced, decline.” There, the company restructured the sales team and refocused sales and marketing and invested in modernizing their products. […]
Scholastic Book Fairs Rise to 85% of Pre-Pandemic Levels, As Trade Slides 4 Percent
Scholastic reported earnings results for the second quarter ended November 30, with sales of $588 million, up 12 percent from $524 million last year, driven by “strong results” in Children’s Book Publishing and Distribution and gains in Book Fairs. Operating income was 20 percent ahead of last year, at $100.1 million, and adjusted EBITDA was $122.3 million, a 14 percent gain. The company credited these results to higher sales and profits in the Children’s Books segment, as well as “cost containment” related to inflation. Trade sales, which had reached all-time high levels, dipped 4 percent to $120 million due to […]
Wiley Aims to Reduce Costs as Earnings Fell in Q2
Wiley released its earnings report for the second quarter ended October 31, with sales of $515 million, down 3 percent from last year. Operating income was down 22 percent to $57.4 million, and adjusted EBITDA fell 3 percent to $123.8 million. Net income was $38.2 million, compared to $55.9 million in the prior year. Earnings declined in part due to $14 million in restructuring charges “related to workforce actions and real estate optimization.” In a presentation to investors on Wednesday, the company said it is “accelerating [a] cost reduction program, including targeted workforce actions, general hiring freeze, real estate optimization, […]
BNED’s Big Quarter Was Not So Big
Barnes & Noble Education reported results for their big fiscal second quarter ending October 29, usually their biggest sales period following the opening of schools, with revenues of $617 million, down 1.6 percent from $627 million last year, and still well below pre-pandemic levels ($772 million in 2019 and $815 million in 2018). That’s well short of analysts’ expectations of $675 million in sales. Net income was $22 million, compared to $22.5 million in the same period in 2021, and follows one of their biggest losses ever in the first quarter, when the company was down ($52.7 million), and puts […]
Harper’s Sales Fell Sharply On Big Returns and Lower Orders From Amazon
The effect of Amazon’s much talked-about “reset of its [book] inventory levels and rightsizing of its warehouse footprint” is front and center in News Corp.’s fiscal first quarter account of HarperCollins’ performance, and the impact is clear. Sales at Harper fell $59 million in period, down 11 percent, to $487 million. The changes at Amazon “resulted in lower order volume and higher returns, despite consumer sales data remaining consistent with prior quarters.” Foreign exchange, due to the strong dollar, cost the company $22 million in the quarter as well. Backlist sales comprised about 65 percent of sales in the quarter, […]