Gannett Profit Declines 22% as Print Revenue Falls; Dividend Is Doubled
Gannett, whose newspapers include USA Today, is the first large newspaper owner to report its results for the quarter, making it an indicator of how the industry is faring. Photographer: Tim Boyle/Bloomberg
Gannett Co., the owner of 82 newspapers as well as television stations, reported second- quarter profit decreased 22 percent as circulation and print advertising declined. The company also doubled its dividend.
Net income dropped to $151.5 million, or 62 cents a share, from $195.5 million, or 81 cents, a year earlier, the McLean, Virginia-based company said today in a statement. Excluding some items, earnings fell to 58 cents a share. Analysts predicted 56 cents, the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Gannett, whose newspapers include USA Today, is the first large newspaper owner to report its results for the quarter, making it an indicator of how the industry is faring. Publishing revenue, including advertising and circulation, declined 4.9 percent to $977.1 million. Digital revenue rose 13 percent.
Total revenue fell 2.2 percent to $1.33 billion, matching the average analysts’ estimate.
Last month, Gannett Co. said it plans to cut about 700 jobs at its community-newspaper unit as it struggles with continuing weakness in local and national advertising.
The company also said today it will double its quarterly dividend to 8 cents a share and that it plans to buy back as much as $100 million of shares over the next 12 months.
Gannett fell 47 cents to $13.01 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have lost 14 percent this year.
(Gannett held a conference call today at 10 a.m. New York time. To listen to a replay, go to http://www.gannett.com.)
To contact the reporter on this story: Ville Heiskanen in New York at vheiskanen@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net
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