Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports Second Quarter and Year-to-Date Operating Results for Fiscal 2021 and February Sales Results

Newsquest Media Group announced the acquisition of NWN Media Ltd (NWN), the publisher of 13 local news brands across North and Mid Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire. The NWN Board unanimously accepted the Newsquest offer which will now allow the company to move forward with confidence in a fast-changing media landscape. NWN’s portfolio comprises 12 weekly newspapers and one daily, with associated websites, including the likes of The Leader (Wrexham and Flintshire), the Chester Standard, the Powys County Times, the Denbighshire Free Press, the Whitchurch Herald and the North Wales Chronicle. NWN also operates an extensive contract printing operation. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sales in the first nine months decreased by 2% in underlying terms primarily due to expected declines in North America in school assessment, school and higher education courseware, and the retirement of Learning Studio. Sales in US higher education courseware declined by 1% on an underlying basis, towards the upper half of our expected range. The negative impact of lower enrolments and attrition from growth in the secondary market driven by print rental was partially offset by the benefit of increased digital revenue and a year on year benefit from the reduction in returns from last year’s unprecedented levels, helped by the actions we announced at the beginning of the year. Underlying sales in Core and Growth were in line with our expectations. Click Read More below for additional information.

Today, the Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) issued its findings related to the statutorily mandated review of the system for regulating rates and classes for Market Dominant products that was first established in 2006 by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA). The law required the Commission to review the past 10 years of the existing market dominant rate and classification system to determine if the system achieved the nine objectives, considering the 14 factors, established by Congress. The objectives reflect the goals of the PAEA to create a flexible, stable, predictable, and streamlined ratemaking system that ensures the Postal Service’s financial health and maintains high quality service standards and performance. In its findings order, the Commission identifies three principal areas of the PAEA system which encapsulate the nine objectives: (1) the structure of the ratemaking system; (2) the financial health of the Postal Service; and (3) service. After extensive review, the Commission concludes that the system achieved some of the goals of these areas, but the overall system has not achieved the objectives taking into account the factors of the PAEA. Click Read More below for additional information.