Meredith Corporation Announces Completion Of Time Inc. Acquisition And Reports Fiscal 2018 Second Quarter And First Half Results

Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; meredith.com) announced today it has completed its acquisition of Time Inc., and that February 1, 2018, will be the first day of operations for the combined company. Time Inc. shareholders received $18.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $2.8 billion originally announced on November 26, 2017.

Meredith also announced fiscal 2018 second quarter and first half results today. The details are included later in this release.

“With this acquisition, we are creating a premier media and marketing company serving 200 million American consumers that’s positioned for growth across industry-leading digital, television, print, video, mobile, and social platforms,” said Meredith Corporation Chairman and CEO Stephen M. Lacy. “The combined portfolio joins the rich content-creation capabilities of many of the media industry’s strongest national brands with a powerful local television business that is generating record earnings.”

“I want to welcome our new employees to Meredith,” said Meredith President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Harty. “Together, we are eager to start serving consumers and advertisers alike with trusted, premium multi-platform content and innovative marketing solutions. Since our announcement, teams from Meredith and Time have been developing an integration plan that has positioned us to hit the ground running. We look forward to delivering on our pledge to achieve the identified synergies and grow shareholder value.”

Meredith today reported fiscal 2018 second quarter earnings per share were $3.49, compared to $1.58 per share in the prior-year period. Fiscal 2018 second quarter results included the following special items:
•A benefit of $2.92 per share related to changes to the U.S. corporate income tax rate
•Transaction expenses of $0.23 per share related to Meredith’s acquisition of Time Inc.
•A charge of $0.34 per share related to the impairment of a trademark and a realignment in Meredith’s National Media Group

Excluding these special items, fiscal 2018 second quarter earnings per share were $1.14. This compares to earnings per share excluding special items of $1.30 in the prior-year period. As expected in an off-election year, Meredith recorded $38 million, or $0.52 per share, less of high-margin incremental political advertising revenues in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 than in the prior year. (See Tables 1-4 for supplemental disclosures regarding non-GAAP financial measures.)

“We were quite pleased to report record earnings per share for a non-political second quarter and first half, driven by strong growth in non-political advertising revenue in our Local Media Group, along with record digital performance and solid expense discipline in our National Media Group,” said Lacy.

Looking more closely at Meredith’s fiscal 2018 second quarter results compared to the prior-year period:
•Local Media Group revenues were $170 million. Non-political advertising revenues grew 13 percent to $104 million, driven by strong performance in the Phoenix, Atlanta and Las Vegas markets. Other revenues increased 25 percent, primarily due to growth in retransmission revenues. Operating profit was $51 million, a record for a non-political second quarter.
•National Media Group revenues were $247 million. Operating profit was $12 million, compared to $47 million. Excluding special items in both periods, operating profit increased 2 percent to $35 million, driven primarily by lower operating expenses in Meredith’s magazine business, along with revenue growth from its digital and circulation activities.
•Total Company digital advertising revenues were a record for any fiscal quarter. Traffic across Meredith’s digital properties averaged 89 million monthly unique visitors. Digital advertising revenues accounted for 44 percent of the National Media Group’s advertising revenues.
•Total revenues were $418 million, compared to $443 million in the prior-year period, reflecting the absence of $38 million of political advertising revenue.

Fiscal 2018 first half earnings per share were $4.23, or $1.83 excluding special items. In comparison, prior-year earnings per share were $2.33, or $2.05 excluding special items. Meredith recorded $53 million, or $0.72 per share, less of high-margin incremental political advertising revenues in the first half of fiscal 2018 than in the prior year, as expected in an off-election year. Total company revenues were $810 million, compared to $843 million in the prior-year period.
more detail at:  https://ir.meredith.com/news-releases/press-release-details/2018/Meredith-Corporation-Announces-Completion-Of-Time-Inc-Acquisition-And-Reports-Fiscal-2018-Second-Quarter-And-First-Half-Results/default.aspx

Related Posts

McClatchy Concludes Auction Process; Chatham Asset Management Deemed Successful Bid

McClatchy announced that the auction held as a part of its court-supervised sale process has concluded with Chatham Asset Management deemed the successful bid. Under terms of the proposed agreement, which will be finalized and filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the coming days, McClatchy will transition out of Chapter 11 as it entered it: in its totality, as one company serving 30 communities across America through its iconic local news titles, from the Miami Herald and The Charlotte Observer to The (Raleigh) News & Observer, The Kansas City Star, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Sacramento Bee.

U.S. Postal Service Recommends New Prices for Parcel Select

The U.S, Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for Parcel Select price changes to take effect July 14, 2024. The proposed adjustments were approved by the Postal Service Governors this week. If favorably reviewed by the Commission, the new rates include an average 25-percent increase for Parcel Select service. Parcel Select is a shipping solution for high volume shippers to enter packages for regional delivery through the U.S. Postal Service’s network. As a strategic part of the Delivering for America 10-year plan, these proposed changes will support the Postal Service in creating a revitalized organization capable of achieving our public service mission – providing a nationwide, integrated network for the delivery of mail and packages at least six days a week – in a cost-effective and financially sustainable manner over the long term, just as the U.S. Congress has intended.

L Brands Reports May 2018 Sales

L Brands, Inc. reported net sales increased 10 percent to $851.9 million for the four weeks ended June 2, 2018, compared to net sales of $774.3 million for the four weeks ended May 27, 2017. Comparable sales for the four weeks ended June 2, 2018, increased 5 percent compared to the four weeks ended June 3, 2017. The company reported net sales of $3.478 billion for the 17 weeks ended June 2, 2018, an increase of 8 percent compared to net sales of $3.211 billion for the 17 weeks ended May 27, 2017. Comparable sales for the 17 weeks ended June 2, 2018, increased 3 percent compared to the 17 weeks ended June 3, 2017. Click
Back To Top
×Close search
Search