Investment strategy in Dow Jones, revenue growth and margin expansion in Dow Jones, AI revenue distribution, Realtor.com growth strategy and investment, and 2026 financial outlook and CapEx are the key contradictions discussed in News Corporation's latest 2025Q4 earnings call.
Strong Financial Performance:
- News Corp reported revenues of $8.5 billion for fiscal 2025, a 2% increase, with total segment EBITDA rising 14% to $1.4 billion.
- The growth was driven by a strategic focus on high-margin content licensing and recurring revenues across the Dow Jones, Digital Real Estate Services, and Book Publishing divisions.
Dow Jones Revenue Growth:
- Dow Jones reported revenues of $6 billion for fiscal 2025, with a 4% increase, and EBITDA rising 8%.
- The growth was primarily attributed to the Professional Information Business, which expanded revenues by 10% in Q4, driven by Risk & Compliance and Dow Jones Energy segments.
Digital Real Estate Segment Performance:
- Digital Real Estate revenues rose 9% for the year, with EBITDA improving by 18%, despite a sluggish U.S. housing market.
- Growth was driven by strong performance in rentals, new homes, and seller segments, which accounted for 24% of revenues in Q4, up from 19% the previous year.
Book Publishing Segment:
- Book Publishing achieved its second-best revenue year on record with a 3% increase to $2.1 billion, and segment EBITDA expanded by 10%.
- The results were supported by a strong frontlist schedule, including Hillbilly Elegy and Wicked, and continued strength in the children's book division.
Shareholder Returns and Capital Allocation:
- News Corp authorized a new $1 billion stock repurchase program, in addition to $300 million remaining from a previous program, providing a total capacity of $1.3 billion.
- The decision was driven by strong free cash flow generation, enhanced by the sale of Foxtel Group, aimed at rewarding shareholders through capital returns.
Comments
No comments yet