Finance

Profits rose 5.0% at Lagardere Publishing in 2106 over 2015, helped by strict cost controls at Hachette Book Group USA which integrated the publishing arm of Perseus Books Group during the year.

Sales of higher education textbooks fell 27% at John Wiley in the third quarter ended January 31, compared to the third period of fiscal 2016. Sales of STM and professional books fell 12%.

The Publishers Weekly Stock Index had a good February, rising 2.3% compared to 4.8% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Some of the biggest losers in January were among the biggest winners in February.

The 2016 publishing sales data shared by Author Earnings at Digital Book World reminded me of all the times I have been the sad-sack tasked with managing the “death squeeze.” I went through it in the consumer photo business, the paper atlas business, and then the CD-ROM mapping software business. Each of these industries relied…

Sales of adult trade books fell 1.6% in the first nine months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, according to figures released by the AAP as part of its StatShot program. Sales of children’s and young adult books increased 4.9% in the same period.

Despite a decline in sales at Penguin Random House in 2016, the world's largest trade publisher delivered 129 million pounds in operating profit to its parent company, Pearson. The sum marks a 43% increase over its profit contribution from 2015.

Sales in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's trade division rose 0.7% in 2016 over 2015, but revenue for the entire company fell 3% and its net loss jumped. Company executives promised to cut costs in 2017.

Revenue for the year at Simon & Schuster was $767 million, down 1.8% from 2015. Operating income increased 4.4%, to $119 million.

Total revenue at Lagardère Publishing rose 2.6% in 2016, to 2.26 billion euros. The increase includes a 70 million euro ($74.6 million) contribution from the Perseus Books Group publishing division, which Hachette Book Group acquired in March.

Second quarter earnings rose 32% at HarperCollins,to $75 million, on a revenue gain of 4%.