Company-wide Revenue and Profitability Improvement
Total revenue rose 6% year-over-year to $2.4 billion in the quarter. Total segment EBITDA increased 9% to $521 million and adjusted total segment EBITDA rose 7% year-over-year. Profitability margin improved by ~70 basis points to 22.1%. Adjusted EPS was $0.40 versus $0.33 in the prior year.
Dow Jones Record Quarter and Strong B2B Performance
Dow Jones revenue grew 8% to $648 million and segment EBITDA rose 10% to $191 million, driving a record margin near 29.5–30% (up ~50 bps YoY). Digital revenues were 82% of segment revenues. Professional Information (B2B) revenue increased 12%; Risk & Compliance was up 20% to $96 million. Digital advertising reached a record $87 million, up 12%. Digital subscriptions increased ~12% to over 6 million (digital-only subscriptions up 12% and +133k sequentially).
Digital Real Estate Momentum (REA and Realtor.com)
Digital Real Estate segment revenues rose 8% to $511 million and segment EBITDA increased 11% to $206 million (12% adjusted). REA revenue grew 7% to $368 million with Australian revenues up ~10%. Realtor.com revenue grew 10% to $143 million; lead volumes improved 13%; average monthly unique users were ~62 million (+1%); portal visits share reached 29% and engagement remained high (~4.8–5 visits per unique user). Adjacent businesses (new homes, rentals, sellers) accounted for 21% of revenues (up 100 bps YoY).
Book Publishing Recovery and Strong Frontlist
HarperCollins revenue increased 6% to $633 million, driven by a stronger frontlist and growth in the faith segment. Digital revenues grew 2% and e-book sales rose 7%. Management signaled improving trends heading into the back half of the year and cited notable upcoming titles and potential streaming-linked demand.
Balance Sheet Strength and Accelerated Buybacks
The company repurchased $172 million of shares in the quarter (up $132 million YoY) and said buybacks are running ~4x the prior year pace with expectations for higher repurchases in H2. Management cited strong free cash flow, a robust balance sheet, and a recent Moody’s upgrade with a positive outlook. Foxtel shareholder loan repayment (~$380 million) expected to further support repurchases.
AI and IP Monetization Opportunities
Management highlighted AI-related monetization potential for proprietary content, noting advanced/expanding deals (e.g., partnership with OpenAI and expanded Bloomberg AI rights for Dow Jones). Company referenced industry precedent (Anthropic $1.5 billion payout for pirated books) and expects to receive AI-related IP-driven payments later this calendar year, positioning proprietary content as a growth/monetization lever.