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Graham Holdings Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 25 February 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year revenue rose 3%: Full-year revenue was $4,911.6 million, up 3% from $4,790.9 million; operating income was $234.9 million against $215.5 million, though operating results excluding impairments were down. Source
  • Fourth-quarter operating income fell: Fourth-quarter revenue was $1,251.0 million, up slightly; operating income was $47.6 million, compared with $72.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Healthcare revenue and profit rose: Healthcare division revenue rose 28% and operating income rose 77% in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Television revenue fell 32%: Television broadcasting revenue fell 32% to $110.5 million, mainly from a $48.4 million drop in political advertising revenue. Source
  • Manufacturing revenue rose 24%: Manufacturing revenue rose 24%, led by Hoover, Dekko and Joyce, partly offset by lower revenue at Forney. Source
  • Automotive operating results turned to loss: Automotive operating results were a $4.7 million loss against $9.1 million profit a year earlier, on lower sales and gross margins on new and used vehicles. Source
  • Reported net income fell: Reported net income attributable to common shares was $292.3 million ($66.47 per diluted share) for 2025, against $724.6 million ($163.40) in 2024. Source
  • Borrowings rose to $880.8 million: Borrowings were $880.8 million at year-end at an average rate of 5.7%, including $222.5 million on the $400 million revolver, against $748.2 million at 6.0% a year earlier. Source

“along with a substantial decline in Hoover’s core fire-retardant wood products business from the continued sluggish multi-family housing market.”

Graham Holdings Co., press release

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Issued $500 million of 5.625% unsecured eight-year notes due December 1, 2033. Source
  • New: Entered a $400 million five-year revolving credit facility. Source
  • New: Used the proceeds to redeem the $400 million 5.75% notes due June 1, 2026. Source
  • Ended: Repaid all amounts outstanding under the $150 million term loan. Source

Full-year and fourth-quarter results

  • Full-year revenue rose 3%: Full-year revenue was $4,911.6 million, up 3% from $4,790.9 million; operating income was $234.9 million against $215.5 million, though operating results excluding impairments were down. Source
  • Fourth-quarter operating income fell: Fourth-quarter revenue was $1,251.0 million, up slightly; operating income was $47.6 million, compared with $72.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year adjusted operating cash flow fell: Adjusted operating cash flow was $407.1 million for 2025, against $447.0 million in 2024, with declines at television broadcasting and automotive. Source

Education and healthcare drivers

  • Kaplan operating income rose: Kaplan reported fourth-quarter operating income of $24.6 million, compared with $0.1 million a year earlier; education revenue was $410.1 million, up slightly. Source
  • Higher Education revenue up 7%: Higher Education revenue rose 7% on increased fees from Purdue Global and growth in other higher education programs. Source
  • Supplemental Education grew 7%: Supplemental Education revenue rose 7% in the fourth quarter, driven by growth in most program offerings. Source
  • Healthcare revenue and profit rose: Healthcare division revenue rose 28% and operating income rose 77% in the fourth quarter. Source
  • CSI revenue up 44%: CSI revenue rose 44%, with operating results up from an expansion of infusion treatment offerings and patient service areas. Source
  • Home health and hospice improved: Home health and hospice operating results improved significantly, helped by revenue growth and lower incentive compensation and pension expense. Source

“Management believes that these non-GAAP measures, when read in conjunction with the Company’s GAAP financials, provide useful information to investors”

Graham Holdings Co., press release

Television and manufacturing

  • Television revenue fell 32%: Television broadcasting revenue fell 32% to $110.5 million, mainly from a $48.4 million drop in political advertising revenue. Source
  • Television operating income fell 58%: Television operating income fell 58% to $33.2 million from $78.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Manufacturing revenue rose 24%: Manufacturing revenue rose 24%, led by Hoover, Dekko and Joyce, partly offset by lower revenue at Forney. Source
  • Arconic costs weighed on Hoover: Hoover results included transition and intangible amortization costs from the Arconic deal; manufacturing operating results were a $1.1 million loss against $6.5 million profit. Source

Automotive operations

  • Automotive revenue fell 6%: Automotive revenue fell 6% to $281.4 million, reflecting the closure of the Ourisman Jeep of Bethesda dealership in September 2025. Source
  • Honda acquisition offset part of decline: The October 2025 Honda of Woodbridge acquisition and growth in services and parts partly offset the revenue decline. Source
  • Automotive operating results turned to loss: Automotive operating results were a $4.7 million loss against $9.1 million profit a year earlier, on lower sales and gross margins on new and used vehicles. Source

Other businesses and Framebridge

  • Other businesses revenue down 2%: Other businesses revenue fell 2% to $100.6 million; Media fell 23%, while Retail rose 13% on Framebridge and Saatchi Art. Source
  • Other losses narrowed: Operating loss at other businesses narrowed to $18.3 million from $24.0 million, on lower losses at WGB, Society6, Saatchi Art, Decile and Supporting Cast. Source
  • Framebridge investment continued: Framebridge operating losses were up slightly, reflecting expansion from new retail store openings and the new manufacturing facility in Nevada. Source
  • Other cash losses narrowed: Adjusted operating cash flow losses at other businesses improved to $12.0 million from $16.1 million a year earlier. Source

Non-operating items and net income

  • Reported net income fell: Reported net income attributable to common shares was $292.3 million ($66.47 per diluted share) for 2025, against $724.6 million ($163.40) in 2024. Source
  • Adjusted net income lower: Adjusted net income was $50.4 million ($11.45 per diluted share) for the fourth quarter, against $98.7 million ($22.58) a year earlier. Source
  • Pension income much smaller: Non-operating pension and postretirement benefit income was $33.3 million for the fourth quarter, against $689.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • 2024 pension settlement gain: The prior-year quarter included a pre-tax, noncash pension settlement gain of $653.4 million tied to an irrevocable group annuity purchase. Source
  • Mandatorily redeemable interest credit: A $13.8 million credit to interest expense in the fourth quarter reflects a fair value adjustment of the mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interest at the healthcare division. Source
  • Securities gains rose: Net gains on marketable equity securities were $83.1 million in the fourth quarter, against $27.0 million a year earlier. Source

Debt, cash and shareholder returns

  • Borrowings rose to $880.8 million: Borrowings were $880.8 million at year-end at an average rate of 5.7%, including $222.5 million on the $400 million revolver, against $748.2 million at 6.0% a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and investments reached $1.4 billion: Cash, marketable equity securities and other investments totaled $1,400.4 million at December 31, 2025, up from $1,156.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Share repurchases were small: The company bought 3,978 Class B shares for $3.5 million during 2025. Source
  • Repurchase authorization remaining: The remaining repurchase authorization is 462,482 shares under the board's September 2024 program. Source
  • Pension surplus rose: The pension surplus was $2,772.4 million, reported as Prepaid Pension Cost, up from $2,510.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Capital expenditures fell: Capital expenditures were $79.8 million in 2025, against $93.1 million in 2024. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Purdue Global fees recorded by Kaplan Source$17.4 million in Q4 2025 (Q4 2024: $14.6 million)

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management tied part of the fourth-quarter automotive sales decline to the federal government shutdown. Source
  • Demand: Overall product demand at Hoover declined, partly offsetting revenue from the Arconic acquisition. Source
  • Operational: Continued revenue decline at the Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership led to a $10.1 million intangible asset impairment charge in the fourth quarter. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.