McClatchy To Merge With A360Media (mediapost.com)

Looking more closely at Meredith's fiscal 2018 third-quarter results compared to the prior-year quarter: •Meredith recorded pre-tax special items of $170 million, primarily comprised of restructuring, financing and transaction costs related to its acquisition of Time Inc. As a result, Meredith reported a loss from continuing operations of $95 million and a net loss of $110 million, compared to net earnings of $40 million. •Excluding special items, earnings from continuing operations were $33 million, compared to $40 million. (See Tables 1-5 for supplemental disclosures regarding non-GAAP financial measures.) •Adjusted EBITDA was $111 million, compared to $83 million. •Total company revenues from continuing operations were $649 million, compared to $425 million. Click Read More below for additional information.

First Quarter of Fiscal 2024 Compared to First Quarter of Fiscal 2023 *Net sales increased 3.5% to $2.7 billion compared to $2.6 billion, primarily due to increased comparable sales, new store contribution, and growth in other revenue. *Comparable sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months and e-commerce sales) increased 1.6% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2023, driven by a 1.3% increase in transactions and a 0.3% increase in average ticket. *Gross profit increased 1.4% to $1.07 billion compared to $1.05 billion. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit decreased to 39.2% compared to 40.0%, primarily due to lower merchandise margins and higher inventory shrink, partially offset by growth in other revenue. *Operating income was $400.9 million, or 14.7% of net sales, compared to $442.1 million, or 16.8% of net sales.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) contract with maritime employers, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), is set to expire on the 30th September 2024 and with under 10 weeks remaining, negotiations have stalled, making a strike increasingly likely. Any strike that potentially impacts all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports would cause significant disruption to containerised US import and exports, especially with West Coast port workers potentially refusing to handle diverted cargo in solidarity. However, the ILA has a record of resolving contracts without strikes, with the last major disruption occurring in 1977 and had planned to resolve local jurisdiction contracts before starting master contract talks but these negotiations were cancelled due to a dispute at the Port of Mobile. The USMX has expressed a desire to move forward productively but acknowledges that time is running out.