Barron’s Penta unveils new design, content

Barron’s Penta will go this weekend from a newsprint insert into the weekly financial newspaper to a glossy magazine with additional coverage areas.

The new coverage areas are real estate and fashion for the September issue, said editor Richard Morais in a phone interview with Talking Biz News. The December issue will add a section on family portraits

The wealth management publication, which is published quarterly, was launched five years ago and targets families with assets of at least $5 million. Penta will be printed on 44-pound glossy stock with a page size of 9.875 inches by 11.50 inches with a 70-pound cover stock. Binding will be saddle-stitched. It will remain a Barron’s insert.

“We’re working really hard at describing quite frankly, beautiful things,” said Morais. “It was clearly a disadvantage to be on newspaper when you’re talking about some of the most beautiful hand-made objects in the world, from great artworks to beautiful watches. The decision was finally made that we are serious about this space and we should reward our readers and our advertisers.”

The real estate coverage in the September issue examines hotel residences for the wealthy, but in a Barron’s way, said Morais. The story looks at them from a financial standpoint, examining how the fees differ among hotels.

“It is much more of a financial approach,” said Morais. “In Barron’s it is whether the stock is overvalued or undervalued. We are doing the same thing with the luxury category. We try to use the same sophistication that Barron’s applies to stocks to the luxury market.”

As for the upcoming family portraits section, Morais said he is fascinated by them and how they show family psychology and dynamics. “I want these family portraits to speak for themselves,” he said.

The size of Penta has expanded, but Morais could not give an exact amount of additional pages, noting, “We haven’t closed the book so I can’t give you a straight answer. But that is the game plan to increase the pages as needed.”

The Wall Street Journal, like Barron’s owned by Dow Jones & Co., publishes a glossy magazine called WSJ. that also caters to high-end readers.

Morais writes about the changes here.