Book Manufacturers’ Institute Releases Industry Barometer Survey Results for August

Highlights: Operating performance on track • 2017 adjusted operating profit of £576m is at the top end of our upwardly-revised October 2017 guidance range, adjusting for currency movements. • Adjusted earnings per share of 54.1p is above the October 2017 guidance range of 49.0p-52.0p reflecting strong profitability, a lower than expected tax rate of 11.1% and after a net interest charge of £79m. • Total underlying revenues declined 2%, in line with the performance in the nine-months, due to a decline of 4% in North America partly offset by stabilisation in Core and Growth. • Statutory operating profit for the year was £451m (2016: a loss of £2,497m). Click Read More below for additional information.

O’Rourke Media Group, based in Gilbert, Arizona, has acquired Times Publishing Newspapers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Times Publishing publishes Doylestown Observer, Fairless Focus, Langhorne Ledger, Morrisville Times, Newtown Gazette, Northampton Herald, New Hope News, Lower Southampton Spirit, Warwick Journal and Yardley Voice. These newspapers are delivered through the post office to over 120,000 households, 11 months per year. O’Rourke Media Group operates newspapers, websites and other publications in Delaware, Virginia and Vermont.

Inspirit Capital, a UK-based investment firm, has entered into a definitive agreement with Wiley to acquire Wiley Edge (“Edge”), an early-career talent, training and placement business serving global employers. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Edge is an industry-leading provider of Hire, Train, Deploy (“HTD”) talent solutions, supporting multinational employers by sourcing, training and deploying high-potential entry-level talent on a contract-to-hire basis. Currently operating in 11 countries, the business plays an important role in addressing the enduring global skills gaps in high-demand areas of technology and business. Edge has a leading recruitment and selection operation, with access to diverse talent around the globe, and delivers bootcamp-style courses through its Academy. In addition to its core early-career HTD services, Edge also offers tailored training programs to reskill clients’ existing workforces, enhancing employee retention and helping employers address internal skill gaps in an increasingly competitive global labor market.