Dow Jones reports highest profit since News Corp acquired it

Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch.com, Barron’s and Investor’s Business Daily, reported a fourth-quarter profit of $133 million, a 25% increase from the same quarter a year ago and its best quarterly performance since it was acquired by News Corp. in 2007.

Revenue for the quarter was $546 million, down 3%.

Digital revenues at Dow Jones in the quarter represented 79% of total revenues compared to 76% in the prior year.

Excluding the absence of the benefit from the additional week in prior year, circulation revenues would have improved 1% compared to the prior year. Digital circulation revenues accounted for 70% of circulation revenues for the quarter, compared to 68% in the prior year.

During the fourth quarter, total average subscriptions to Dow Jones’ consumer products reached over 5.2 million, a 7% increase compared to the prior year. Digital-only subscriptions to Dow Jones’ consumer products grew 12%.

Total subscriptions to The Journal grew 6% compared to the prior year, to over 3.9 million average subscriptions in the quarter. Digital-only subscriptions to The Journal grew 10% to 3.4 million average subscriptions in the quarter, and represented 86% of total Journal subscriptions.

The full News Corp. earnings release can be found here.