Book Manufacturers’ Institute Releases Industry Barometer Survey Results for August

FY23 fourth quarter service performance scores covering July 1 through August 11, included: *First-Class Mail: 91.3 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal third quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.2 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal third quarter. *Periodicals: 85.6 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3.3 percentage points from the fiscal third quarter.

Total consolidated revenues increased 44.8 percent, or 271.2 million, to $877.3 million, compared with total consolidated revenues of $605.6 million in the prior year period, driven by ecommerce growth of 59.7 percent including revenue contributions from PersonalizationMall.com (“PMall”), which the Company acquired in August 2020. Excluding the contribution from PMall, total net revenues increased 24.7 percent and e-commerce net revenues increased 34.6 percent compared with the prior year period. Gross profit margin for the quarter increased 100 basis points to 45.4 percent, compared with 44.4 percent in the prior year period. Operating expenses as a percent of total revenues was 28.6 percent, compared with 28.0 percent in the prior year period. Excluding the impacts of the Company’s non-qualified deferred 401k compensation plan and one-time costs primarily associated with its acquisition of PMall, operating expenses, as a percentage of total revenues was 28.3 percent in the quarter. Net income for the quarter increased 53.3 percent, or $39.5 million, to $113.7 million, or $1.71 per diluted share, compared with net income of $74.2 million or $1.12 per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted net income for the quarter increased 54.1 percent, or $40.1 million, to $114.2 million, or 41.72 per diluted share.

Fiscal 2021 second quarter revenues grew 11 percent to a record $902 million from the prior-year period. Highlights from the second quarter of fiscal 2021 included: A 22 percent increase in National Media Group digital advertising revenues from the prior-year period. Sessions to Meredith's owned and operated and network sites grew 16 percent from the prior-year period, led by the PEOPLE, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and InStyle brands. A 96 percent increase in Local Media Group political spot and digital advertising from the prior election cycle two years ago. Performance was led by the Phoenix and Atlanta markets, which combined accounted for approximately 60 percent of total political advertising revenues. A 34 percent increase in National Media Group digital consumer/licensing revenues from the prior-year period. Performance was driven by Apple News+, strong sales of Better Homes & Gardens-branded products at Walmart stores across the United States and at Walmart.com, and ecommerce via other retail partners. Continued sequential year-over-year improvement in Meredith's magazine and non-political television advertising platforms. Both comparable National Media Group magazine advertising and Local Media Group non-political advertising revenues declined in the mid-teens from the prior-year period. As a result of this performance, fiscal 2021 second quarter earnings from continuing operations more than doubled to $149 million from the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA grew 57 percent to $304 million.