Advertising down at WSJ and Barron's in May

Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, reported lower advertising revenue for both newspapers in May.

Advertising revenue at The Journal decreased 3.4 percent in May on a 7.3 percent decrease in advertising volume, due to declines in technology, general and classified advertising partially offset by a slight increase in financial advertising. Technology advertising volume decreased 30.5 percent as decreases in software, hardware, office products, technology professional services and personal computers advertising were modestly offset by increases in communications and other B2B technology advertising. General advertising volume decreased 5.8 percent as decreases in auto, media and other consumer advertising were partially offset by increases in travel, luxury goods, health care and professional services advertising.

Excluding auto, general advertising volume increased 10.0 percent. Classified advertising volume decreased 3.3 percent due to a decrease in residential real estate advertising partially offset by a gain in commercial real estate and other classified advertising. Financial advertising volume increased 0.1 percent due to an increase in retail and wholesale advertising partially offset by declines in insurance and tombstone advertising.

At Barron’s, total advertising revenue increased 2.0 percent in May on a 3.6 percent increase in advertising pages despite one less issue in May 2007 versus the prior year period. On a per issue basis, total advertising pages increased 29.5 percent primarily driven by increases in consumer and financial advertising.

International advertising revenue increased 47.4 percent in May primarily driven by gains in financial and general advertising at the international editions of the Journal.