Print Unit Sales Up 8% in Late August (publishersweekly.com)

*Net sales increased 13% to $143.1 billion in the third quarter, compared with $127.1 billion in third quarter 2022. Excluding the $1.4 billion favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 11% compared with third quarter 2022. *Operating income increased to $11.2 billion in the third quarter, compared with $2.5 billion in third quarter 2022. *Net income increased to $9.9 billion in the third quarter, or $0.94 per diluted share, compared with $2.9 billion, or $0.28 per diluted share, in third quarter 2022.

Media pundits like to claim that the magazine industry is failing and that print is an antiquated medium. True or not, the “print is dead” drumbeat inevitably taints the perception media buyers have of print as a viable marketing mechanism. Linda Thomas Brooks, president and CEO of the Association of Magazine Media (MPA), argues that this tired rhetoric glosses over the reality, which is that print is one of the most effective ways to deeply engage consumers, build brand awareness, and sell products. During a presentation at DigiPub: Harnessing the Power of Data-Driven Print in November, Brooks shared third-party research on printed magazines, which reveal an alternative narrative. “We learned that magazine media works because it builds brand and sells product at the same time,” said Brooks. Marketers are beginning to reawaken to the value of print as well. The digital revolution made it easier than ever for brands to market directly to consumers, so in the past several years ad spend has gone toward direct marketing tactics, said Brooks. Click Read More below for additional information.

As part of its commitment to enhance capital returns to stockholders, FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) today announced that it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase ("ASR") agreement with Mizuho Markets Americas LLC (“Mizuho”) to repurchase $1.0 billion of FedEx’s common stock as part of the company’s previously announced share repurchase program. Under the terms of the ASR agreement, FedEx will pay $1.0 billion to Mizuho and receive an initial share delivery of approximately 3.2 million shares on December 28, 2023, with the remainder of the shares, if any, to be delivered no later than February 29, 2024. The total number of shares purchased by FedEx pursuant to the ASR agreement will be based on an average of the volume-weighted average prices of FedEx’s common stock during the term of the ASR agreement, less a discount.