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News Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 2% to $2.14 billion: Total revenues were $2.14 billion, up from $2.10 billion, including a $4 million foreign currency benefit. Adjusted revenues rose 2%, led by Dow Jones and Digital Real Estate Services. Source
  • Total Segment EBITDA rose 5%: Total Segment EBITDA was $340 million, against $325 million. The increase came mainly from Digital Real Estate Services, Dow Jones and News Media, while Book Publishing declined. Source
  • Dow Jones revenue up 6%: Dow Jones revenues reached $586 million. Risk & Compliance revenue rose 16% to $94 million, with Dragonfly and Oxford Analytica contributing modestly; Dow Jones Energy rose 7% to $73 million. Source
  • Book Publishing EBITDA down 28%: Book Publishing revenue fell 2% to $534 million and segment EBITDA fell to $58 million from $81 million, including a $13 million customer receivable write-off and higher employee costs. Source
  • Consumer subscriptions up 8%: Average consumer subscriptions reached nearly 6.4 million. Digital-only subscriptions rose 10% to almost 5.9 million, while lower print volume partly offset circulation gains. Source
  • Softer book consumer spending: Book Publishing revenue was affected by softer consumer spending within the industry and by the timing of orders from certain customers. Source
  • Free cash flow turned positive: Free cash flow was $4 million, against $(49) million a year earlier. Operating cash flow rose to $85 million and capital expenditures were $81 million. Source

“Following a sterling performance in fiscal 2025 - one that marked a record year for profitability on a continuing operations basis - News Corp continued to increase both revenue and profitability in the first quarter of fiscal 2026”

Chief Executive Robert Thomson

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Share repurchases SourceFiscal 2026, current paceover four times the fiscal 2025 paceRaised

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Share repurchase pace was accelerated and is now above four times the fiscal 2025 pace. Source
  • Ended: REA India completed the PropTiger divestment in September and discontinued the Housing Edge offering in October. Source
  • Ended: The Factiva customer dispute that lowered Dow Jones revenue in the prior quarter has been resolved, according to this quarter's release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 2% to $2.14 billion: Total revenues were $2.14 billion, up from $2.10 billion, including a $4 million foreign currency benefit. Adjusted revenues rose 2%, led by Dow Jones and Digital Real Estate Services. Source
  • Total Segment EBITDA rose 5%: Total Segment EBITDA was $340 million, against $325 million. The increase came mainly from Digital Real Estate Services, Dow Jones and News Media, while Book Publishing declined. Source
  • Per-share earnings little changed: Net income from continuing operations was $150 million, up from $149 million. Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.20 against $0.21; adjusted EPS was $0.22 against $0.20. Source

Segments and regions

  • Dow Jones revenue up 6%: Dow Jones revenues reached $586 million. Risk & Compliance revenue rose 16% to $94 million, with Dragonfly and Oxford Analytica contributing modestly; Dow Jones Energy rose 7% to $73 million. Source
  • Digital Real Estate EBITDA up 13%: Digital Real Estate Services revenues rose 5% to $479 million and segment EBITDA rose 13% to $158 million, with REA Group benefiting from no repeat of prior-year Rightmove deal costs. Source
  • Book Publishing EBITDA down 28%: Book Publishing revenue fell 2% to $534 million and segment EBITDA fell to $58 million from $81 million, including a $13 million customer receivable write-off and higher employee costs. Source
  • News Media EBITDA up 67%: News Media revenues rose 1% to $545 million, and segment EBITDA rose to $30 million from $18 million on cost savings and lower Talk costs. Source
  • Move revenue up 9%: Move revenues rose 9% to $152 million, mainly from higher RealPRO Select sales as Move shifts toward premium offerings. Lead volume fell 1%, and average monthly unique users fell 6%. Source

“It is also patently clear that the value of IP in the age of AI is misconceived.”

Chief Executive Robert Thomson

Products and customers

  • Consumer subscriptions up 8%: Average consumer subscriptions reached nearly 6.4 million. Digital-only subscriptions rose 10% to almost 5.9 million, while lower print volume partly offset circulation gains. Source
  • Wall Street Journal digital base grows: Digital-only Wall Street Journal subscriptions grew 11% to over 4.2 million, including enterprise and individual consumer subscriptions. Digital-only made up 91% of Journal subscriptions. Source
  • Australian digital subscribers rise: Closing digital subscribers at News Corp Australia reached 1,162,000, against 1,127,000 a year earlier. News mastheads accounted for 993,000 of the total. Source
  • Digital book sales decline: Digital sales fell 9%, with audiobook sales down 11% and e-book sales down 9%, reflecting title mix and a difficult prior-year comparison. Digital was 23% of consumer revenue. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Overhead costs rose: Selling, general and administrative expenses rose to $863 million from $819 million, while operating expenses fell to $941 million from $952 million. Source
  • Dow Jones costs rose: Dow Jones segment EBITDA growth was partly offset by higher employee and marketing costs. Source
  • Pricing lifted circulation revenue: Circulation revenues rose 3% as customers moved from introductory promotions to higher pricing, while lower print volume partly offset the gain. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Australian listing volumes fell: Australian national residential buy listing volumes fell 8%, with Sydney down 6% and Melbourne down 4%. REA Group revenue rose 3% to $327 million. Source
  • Realtor.com lead volume nearly flat: Lead volume fell 1%, moderating from recent quarters. September visits to Realtor.com were 254 million according to Comscore, and the site gained share among portals. Source
  • Softer book consumer spending: Book Publishing revenue was affected by softer consumer spending within the industry and by the timing of orders from certain customers. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Free cash flow turned positive: Free cash flow was $4 million, against $(49) million a year earlier. Operating cash flow rose to $85 million and capital expenditures were $81 million. Source
  • Share repurchases of $92 million: Cash paid for share repurchases was $92 million, against $38 million a year earlier, while dividends paid were $47 million. Source
  • Acquisitions and investment flows: Acquisitions used $41 million net of cash acquired. Purchases of equity affiliates and other investments were $17 million, against $38 million of sale proceeds. Source
  • Tax payments reduced operating cash: Operating cash flow benefited from lower working capital and higher Total Segment EBITDA, partly offset by higher tax payments. Source

Strategy and AI-related content

  • REA India exits Housing Edge: REA India completed the PropTiger divestment in September and discontinued Housing Edge in October after regulatory changes altered its commercial viability. Source
  • Digital and AI revenues bolster results: Management said results were led by Dow Jones and Digital Real Estate Services and were bolstered by digital and AI-related revenues. Source
  • Partnership talks gaining traction: Management described its partnership pursuit as gaining traction and expects further partnerships to affect results positively. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 November 2025

  • Further partnerships expected soon: Management said it expects to announce further partnerships in the near future, which it expects to affect results positively. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total average consumer subscriptions (Dow Jones) Sourcenearly 6.4 million
Digital-only consumer subscriptions (Dow Jones) Sourcealmost 5.9 million
Realtor.com average monthly unique users Source72 million
Realtor.com lead volume change Sourcedown 1%
News Corp Australia closing digital subscribers Source1,162,000

Risks management discussed

  • External: Macroeconomic conditions in the housing market reduced Move lead volumes, according to management. Source
  • Financial: A customer receivable write-off reduced Book Publishing segment EBITDA by $13 million in the quarter. Source
  • Regulatory: Regulatory changes in India affected the commercial viability of the Housing Edge offering, which REA India discontinued. Source
  • Demand: Softer consumer spending in the book industry and order timing with certain customers affected Book Publishing revenue. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior release stated an intent to accelerate buybacks; this quarter management said the repurchase rate was accelerated.

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.