The News Corp (ASX: NWS) share price is on the move on Wednesday morning.
At the time of writing, the media giant's shares are up over 2.5% to $53.98.
This follows the release of its full year results before the market open.
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News Corp share price higher on results day
News Corp shares are rising today after its full year results for FY 2025 revealed solid revenue growth and a sharp jump in profitability.
The company posted total revenues of US$8.45 billion, up 2% from US$8.25 billion in the prior year.
This growth was driven by strong performances in Digital Real Estate Services, Dow Jones, and Book Publishing, partially offset by weaker contributions from the News Media segment. Foreign currency movements provided a modest US$8 million boost to the top line.
Net income from continuing operations surged 71% to US$648 million for the 12 months, compared to US$379 million in FY 2024. The company attributed the result to higher segment EBITDA, improved interest income, and a lift in other net income, partially offset by higher tax, depreciation, and amortisation expenses.
Total segment EBITDA climbed to US$1.42 billion, up 14% from US$1.24 billion a year earlier. This improvement was led by the company's core growth pillars and supported by cost savings initiatives in the News Media division. Adjusted total segment EBITDA increased 15% year on year.
News Corp's earnings per share also moved higher, with diluted earnings per share from continuing operations rising to US$0.84. This is up strongly from US$0.47 in FY 2024. Adjusted diluted earnings per share came in at US$0.89, up 20% from US$0.74 a year ago.
This allowed the News Corp board to declare a cash dividend of US$0.10 per share.
Management commentary
Commenting on the 12 months, News Corp's chief executive, Robert Thomson, said:
News Corp reported a sterling performance sustained across the four quarters of Fiscal 2025. For the full year, revenues rose 2 percent to nearly $8.5 billion and our net income from continuing operations improved substantially, increasing 71 percent to $648 million, while Total Segment EBITDA improved 14 percent to a new record on a continuing operations basis of over $1.4 billion.
These robust results have enhanced our financial position and thus our ability to return capital to shareholders. Last month, the Board of Directors authorized a new $1 billion stock repurchase program, in addition to the approximately $300 million remaining from the previous $1 billion program authorized four years ago. We expect to begin executing repurchases at an accelerated rate shortly after the release of these results. This significantly larger total and significantly faster tempo emphasize our belief in the Company's financial strength.
Thomson also took aim at artificial intelligence and the impact it is having on intellectual property. He adds:
The AI age must cherish the value of intellectual property if we are collectively to realize our potential. Much is made of the competition with China, but America's advantage is ingenuity and creativity, not bits and bytes, not watts but wit. To undermine that comparative advantage by stripping away IP rights is to vandalize our virtuosity.
Even the President of the United States is not immune to this blatant theft. The President's books are still reporting healthy sales, but are being consumed by AI engines which profit from his thoughts by cannibalizing his concepts, thus undermining future sales of his books. Suddenly, The Art of the Deal has become The Art of the Steal.
