Paperclips Blog | NewPage Results

07.31.2012
Mail Carrier Representative Challenges Nature of the Looming USPS ‘Default’

The pending Aug. 1 “default” of the U.S. Postal Service is not primarily the result of a bad market or even bad operations, but of bad legislating by Congress, according to Fredric Rolando, president, National Association of Letter Carriers. The only thing that will happen on Wednesday is that the Postal Service will not pay $5.6 billion into a fund for future retiree health benefits—a fund that already has $45 billion, enough to pay for decades of future retiree health care, Rolando says.

“At the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), our two highest priorities are ensuring the long-term health of the Postal Service and protecting the well being of our country’s active and retired letter carriers. If we thought our retired members were in danger of losing their health care, we’d be screaming bloody murder about it. But the retirees are fine and so is their health insurance. And on August 1st, the mail will continue to be delivered and employees will continue to be paid,” he notes

“No other U.S. institution—private or government—is required by law to set aside money for future retiree health benefits. But in 2006, Congress imposed this requirement on the Postal Service, and the resulting annual payments are the reason the Postal Service’s financial problems, while very real, appear to be so much worse than they actually are. In fact, according to USPS financial statements, pre-funding accounts for 94 percent of the red ink in the first two quarters of fiscal 2012 and 85 percent of all red ink since pre-funding went into effect in 2007.

“Still, this bogus “default” has proved to be useful rhetoric to those who want to dismantle the Postal Service, especially those who for ideological or competitive reasons want it privatized. But we should all remember: the Postal Service doesn’t use any taxpayer money.

“As we have said before, the Postal Service does have very real challenges to address as the volume of first class mail declines and Americans rely more and more on the Internet to convey personal and business messages. On the other hand, there is real opportunity as an increasing number of products purchased online are shipped through the Postal Service,” Rolando continues.

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07.31.2012
Looming US Postal Service default shakes mailers' confidence

The U.S. Postal Service is set this week to default on a giant payment, the latest blow illustrating Congress' slow progress toward fixing the agency's deep financial woes and one that could damage some customers' confidence.

The Postal Service has said for months that it could not afford to make the $5.5 billion payment for future retiree health benefits, which was originally due in 2011 but was delayed by Congress until Aug. 1.

The mail agency, which relies on sales of stamps and other products rather than taxpayer funds, has said the same about a second payment due at the end of the fiscal year in September.

Congress has so far made no significant push to delay the payment again. Missing the health pre-payment, the first default in the agency's history, would not cause interruptions in service or prevent the Postal Service from paying suppliers and employees, USPS spokesman David Partenheimer said in an email.

But trade groups, mailing industry lobbyists and some business owners said the approaching default raises questions about the Postal Service's financial stability and Congress's commitment to helping remedy the agency's money woes.

Eroding confidence in the Postal Service's future adds incentive for mailers to explore alternatives to traditional mail, they said - a shift that would only deepen the agency's troubles.

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07.31.2012
Scholastic Reports 2011 Progress toward Industry-Leading Goals for Use of FSC-Certified and Recycled Paper

Scholastic Inc., the global children's publishing, education and media company, today announced another year of significant progress toward the company-wide goal of strengthening its sustainable paper procurement practices and increasing the percentage of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified and post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled paper purchased by the company.

In January of 2008, Scholastic announced goals for 2012 to increase the amount of FSC-certified paper purchased for its publications to 30% and the use of recycled paper to 25%, of which 75% would be post-consumer waste. Having made significant gains toward the FSC goal between 2008 and 2011, Scholastic increased its goal for 2012 from 30% to 35% of all paper purchased to be FSC-certified. Just one year later, the company has far surpassed the increased FSC goal, having purchased a remarkable 53.3% FSC-certified paper, and is continuing to work toward the recycled paper goal.

"Scholastic is demonstrating real leadership to ensure we have healthy forests for future generations," said Corey Brinkema, President of the Forest Stewardship Council U.S. "And with this leadership, Scholastic is helping cultivate in our children a stewardship ethic on behalf of one of the earth's most precious resources."

In 2011, Scholastic purchased 79,485.5 tons of paper of which 42,357 tons, or 53.3%, was FSC-certified, up from 3.6% in 2007. In addition, 13,249 tons, or 16.67%, of the fiber used to produce the paper was recovered waste paper, up from 13.5% in 2007, and of that amount, 10,117 tons, or 76.36%, was produced from PCW fiber, down slightly from 80.7% in 2007.

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07.31.2012
Metso to supply coater rebuild for Hansol Paper in South Korea

Metso will rebuild an off-machine coater of the coated woodfree paper production line at the Changhang mill of Hansol Paper Co., Ltd. in South Korea. The rebuilt production line will be fully operational during 2013. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

“The main target of the rebuild is to convert the production line to produce also thermal paper grades. As a result of the rebuild, the mill will be capable of flexibly changing production between coated woodfree grades and thermal paper grades,” says Metso’s Senior Sales Manager Pekka Turtinen.
The order is included in Metso’s Pulp, Paper and Power second quarter 2012 orders received.

Metso’s delivery will comprise a curtain coating unit, a soft calender, a reel and a moisturizer for curl control. The new curtain coating unit applies a thin thermal coating layer on the web economically in a non-contacting operation.

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07.31.2012
Catalyst to permanently close Snowflake recycle paper mill

Catalyst Paper today announced the permanent closure of its Snowflake recycle mill located in northeastern Arizona and its subsidiary the Apache Railway Company. This follows extensive efforts to improve the operation’s financial performance in the face of intense supply input and market pressures. The operation is scheduled to shut production on September 30, 2012.

“The decision to close Snowflake is an extraordinarily difficult one given the exceptional effort that employees, unions and public officials have given to address the unique challenges at this mill, said President and CEO Kevin J. Clarke. “We understand and regret the difficult impact within the Snowflake community and surrounding region created by closure of the mill. I want to acknowledge and thank all who have given us their unwavering support and cooperation. There were no stones left unturned.”

Catalyst implemented a number of measures since acquiring the Snowflake operation in 2008, to address market challenges and input cost pressures. These included production of higher-value specialty paper grades at what was formerly a newsprint-only mill, capital investment, productivity, quality and service improvements, full leverage of the mill’s environmental attributes, and competitive labour agreements. Catalyst has also explored a range of alternatives, including attempting to sell the mill on a going concern basis.

However with newsprint demand down more than 10 per cent annually since the end of 2008, old newsprint (ONP) price volatility and higher freight costs as procurement and sales have been forced to go further afield to source recycled paper supply and secure product orders, the mill’s profitability could not be restored.
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07.30.2012
Dennis Publishing launches monthly cycling magazine

London-headquartered, £100m turnover publisher Dennis Publishing, which owns over 50 magazines, will launch the new cycling title with an initial UK print run of 50,000.

Cyclist will hit both digital and high street shelves, priced at £5 an issue, on 19 September backed by a £500,000 multi-platform marketing campaign. The magazine is targeted at a predominantly male audience of "modern road cycling enthusiasts" who, according to Dennis’ research, are interested in travel, indepth knowledge, ride performance and style.

An editorial team comprised of specialist cycle and fitness journalists will be headed by former Men’s Fitness and Dennis’ fitness division editorial director Pete Muir.

He said: "The look and feel of the magazine will be premium with stylish design and stunning imagery from the best photographers in the market. The magazine will be like a cyclist’s perfect partner: intelligent, good-looking and passionate about road cycling."

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07.30.2012
McClatchy Reports Growth in Second Quarter 2012 Earnings

The McClatchy Company today reported net income in the second quarter of 2012 of $26.9 million or 31 cents per share. In the second quarter of 2011 the company reported net income of $4.9 million or 6 cents per share.

Revenues in the second quarter of 2012 were $299.3 million, down 4.8% from the second quarter of 2011. Advertising revenues were $222.6 million, down 5.7% from 2011, and circulation revenues were $63.6 million, down 2.4%. Total digital advertising revenues grew 4.9% in the second quarter of 2012, with digital-only advertising revenues up 16.8% from the 2011 quarter. Digital advertising represented 22.5% of total advertising revenues compared to 20.2% of total advertising revenues in the second quarter of 2011.

Income in the second quarter of 2012, excluding the net impact of these items, was $16.1 million compared to income in the second quarter of 2011 adjusted for similar items of $9.0 million.

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07.30.2012
Oil Near One-Week High on Stimulus Speculation, Mideast Unrest

Oil traded near the highest level in a week in New York amid speculation that U.S. and European policy makers will act to boost growth and concern unrest in the Middle East could disrupt supplies.

Futures were little changed, heading for the first monthly gain in three. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is trying to build a consensus among governments and central bankers for a plan to ease borrowing costs in Spain and Italy before ECB policy makers convene on Aug. 2. The Syrian government’s use of “indiscriminate violence” will hasten its collapse, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. The Middle East produces about a third of the world’s crude.

“Draghi’s comments are confirming the positive trend change driven by sentiment,” said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see oil prices higher on improving sentiment, and more confidence.”

Crude for September delivery was at $90.09 a barrel, down 4 cents in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 12:15 p.m. London time. It advanced earlier as much as 82 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $90.95 a barrel. The contract climbed 0.8 percent to $90.13 on July 27 for a fourth day of gains and the highest close since July 20. Prices are up 6 percent this month.

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07.30.2012
Standard Register Reports Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results

Standard Register, a leader in the management and execution of mission-critical communications, today announced its financial results for the second quarter and first half of 2012. The Company reported quarterly revenue of $155.1 million and a net loss of $1.1 million or $0.04 per share. The results compare to prior year quarterly revenue of $164.3 million and a net loss of $1.0 million or $0.03 per share. Non-GAAP net income after adjustments for pension loss amortization, pension settlement, restructuring charges, tax effect of adjustments and deferred tax valuation allowances was $3.8 million or $0.13 per share for the second quarter of 2012, a $1.0 million increase from non-GAAP net income of $2.8 million, or $0.10 per share for the same period in 2011.

Through the first half of 2012, the Company reported revenue of $312.7 million and a net loss of $6.2 million or $0.21 per share. The first half results compare to last year’s revenue of $329.2 million and a net loss of $0.6 million or $0.02 per share through the first half of 2011. Non-GAAP adjusted net income for the first half of 2012 was $5.7 million or $0.20 per share compared to non-GAAP adjusted net income of $6.9 million or $0.24 per share for the first half of 2011.

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07.30.2012
J.C. Penney to Change Pricing Strategy Yet Again

On August 1, shoppers can expect to see another new pricing strategy at J.C. Penney, according to an article from Bloomberg Businessweek.

The article states that JCP is reportedly "switching to a two-tiered pricing system and promoting price matching for the first time as chief executive officer Ron Johnson alters a strategy that flopped with customers and caused sales to plunge."

At the beginning of 2012, Johnson had announced that JCP was introducing a three-tiered pricing system that included regular prices, month long sales and shorter period promotions. The "Fair and Square" strategy apparently tanked when the company announced its overall sales for the first quarter dropped 20.1% compared to the same period last year.

"A change in the pricing policy was absolutely necessary," Bernie Sosnick, an analyst with Gilford Securities, told Bloomberg Businessweek.

This new and improved pricing strategy, according to the article, will keep JCP's everyday low prices and clearance sales but it "will match similar local competitors’ current advertised prices on identical items if customers show the ad at checkout." Many items are excluded from the new strategy, including Sephora "retailer’s salon, optical, portrait or custom decorating departments," the article stated.

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07.30.2012
L2: Magazines Need To Focus On Monetizing Digital, Imagine New Models

While magazines have a history of struggle with digital platforms (there was that whole monthly vs. 24/7 editorial cycles thing), most publishers have a least made a lot of noise in recent years around their digital investments. No one doubts that the print world acknowledges that digital platforms are the source of future growth, but the degree to which magazine really embrace interactive media is less clear. In L2’re recent annual assessment of the state of digital preparedness and “IQ” the glass was decidedly half full and the IQ perhaps about average. While L2 ranked Wired, The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour (tied with EW) and Better Homes and Gardens as the top five most digital-savvy brands overall, L2 had reservations about the level of innovation here.

Investment in the high-profile tablet platform is considerable with 98% of the top brands now available on at least one of the major tablet platforms. More than a third are now making their newsstand versions available across the four major devices (iPad, Nook, Kindle Fire, Google Play). Nevertheless, the magazines’ ability to bring advertisers along has been weak. L2 study author Colin Gilbert tells minonline that it is too early to judge the success of digital editions with subscribers, since the base here remains quite low, and the platform is a “long play” for the brands. “However, in-app analysis shows that only 17% of iPad Digital Editions feature advertisements that took advantage of premium media kit fees beyond embedding URL links, such as rich media, video, gamification elements, etc.” he says. As others in the industry have observed, advertisers are not yet impressed with the level of measurable results or the scale possible in tablet editions.

But Gilbert argues that the laser focus on tablets came at a cost for the overall digital strategy among magazines. “Brands have ignored their wider mobile investments,” to an astonishing degree, he says. “Only a third of the brands in the Index have upgraded their main site to HTML5, ensuring broad display compatibility across mobile devices. Only a fifth of brands have leveraged HTML5 to implement "responsive design," including unique page layout for the desktop browser, tablet, and smartphone originating from one common URL.” This constitutes a bit of a misfire for magazines, he contends. “The disproportional investment in tablets vs. mobile sites is stunning, especially considering that 20% of web traffic to these brands now originates from mobile devices.”

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07.30.2012
Better Data Needed To Improve Ad Targeting

The advertising industry rallying around improving the quality of data to target ads continues to make improvements to processes and techniques. Google began rolling out a remarketing tool in Google Analytics on Friday to help marketers gain insight into targeting ads. But if the brand's data mixed with inadequate information from a third-party data seller, a company's retargeting strategy will deliver less than stellar results.

At Guthy-Renker, Colette Dill-Lerner, vice president of Internet marketing, said she has looked at data files "where nearly 50% of the gender is wrong." Some marketers think this characteristic remains one of the most difficult to identify.

Aside from gender, other discrepancies exist in third-party data that limit ad efficiencies.

It led Guthy-Renker to create a scorecard with help from company partners like demand side platforms and data management platforms. The major gap between the person's actual characteristics and how they are portrayed online requires cross-checks. Dill-Lerner said data may give company marketers insight into the 35-year-old mother of three, but it's not clear how that translates digitally.

Marketers need to identify accurate data providers. Leon Zemel, chief analytics officer at [x+1], also points to gender as a difficult attribute, suggesting that brands should focus on household rather than personal data. "A cookie isn't really usable to collect accurate data," he said. "We don't have the total answer yet, but we're looking at it."
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07.30.2012
Fibrek announces temporary shutdown of Saint-Félicien mill

Fibrek Inc. has announced the temporary shutdown of its market pulp mill in Saint-Félicien starting on July 29, 2012 in order to carry out repairs on the electrostatic precipitator. The shutdown is expected to last about one week. This measure has been taken to avoid excessive particulate emissions into the atmosphere and attests to the commitment of Fibrek's new management to improve the Company's environmental performance.

"We will spare no effort to ensure that Fibrek's operations achieve the same environmental performance as those of Resolute Forest Products" said Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fibrek and Resolute Forest Products Inc.
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07.30.2012
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. today announced its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company reported revenue for the second quarter of $47.9 million.

Lisa Gersh, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Led by solid performance in merchandising and broadcasting, MSLO's results were in line with our expectations for the quarter. We anticipated much of the weakness in publishing, and it's important to note that while our publishing strategy is gaining traction, it will take additional time to yield the targeted results. This will slow our planned return to profitability, but we continue to anticipate improving performance for the Company in 2012."

Second Quarter 2012 Summary:
Revenues were $47.9 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to $54.9 million in the second quarter of 2011, due to lower revenues in our publishing and broadcasting segments, partially offset by higher merchandising revenues.

Adjusted EBITDA loss for the second quarter of 2012 was $(0.3) million, compared to $(0.6) million in the prior-year period.

Operating loss for the second quarter of 2012 was $(2.9) million compared with $(2.5) million in the prior-year period.

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07.27.2012
The New York Times Company Reports 2012 Second-Quarter Results

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) announced today a 2012 second-quarter diluted loss per share from continuing operations of $.57 compared with diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $.05 in the same period of 2011. The loss resulted from an estimated non-cash charge of $.85 per share for the write-down of goodwill at the About Group. Excluding severance, the write-down and other special items discussed below, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $.14 in the second quarter of 2012 compared with $.11 in the second quarter of 2011.

The Company had an operating loss of $143.6 million in the second quarter of 2012 compared with an operating profit of $31.5 million in the same period of 2011. Excluding depreciation, amortization, severance and special items, operating profit increased 6.5 percent to $78.1 million from $73.4 million in the second quarter of 2011.

“Our second-quarter results reflect our ongoing strides in repositioning the Times Company for an increasingly multiplatform future,” said Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer, The New York Times Company. “The growth in operating profit, excluding depreciation, amortization, severance and special items, was largely driven by continued strength in circulation revenues, which offset advertising revenue declines and led to overall revenue growth of about 1 percent. Total Company circulation revenues rose 8 percent, led by the nearly 11 percent growth at The New York Times Media Group as we continued to expand our digital subscription base and grow our robust consumer revenue stream.

“At quarter end, total paid digital subscriptions across the Company were approximately 532,000, up 13 percent from 472,000 as of March 18, 2012, which was the one-year anniversary of NYTimes.com’s digital subscription launch. The growth in paid digital subscriptions benefited from our decision to move the gate on NYTimes.com from 20 to 10 free articles a month, and from a host of marketing and product initiatives that we have been rolling out this year.

“While the advertising market remains challenging, the rate of decline for the Company’s total advertising revenues moderated, due primarily to improved digital advertising revenue trends, compared with first-quarter 2012 levels."

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07.27.2012
Valassis Announces Results for the Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2012

Valassis today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012. Second-quarter 2012 revenues were $540.2 million, a decrease of 4.4% from $565.2 million in the prior year quarter. This decrease in revenues was due primarily to the absence of custom co-op programs within our FSI segment and continued reduced spending by consumer packaged goods (CPG) clients across our various business segments.

Second-quarter 2012 net earnings were $21.7 million, which included $10.7 million, net of tax, of non-recurring restructuring charges and asset impairments resulting from the discontinuance of the sampling and solo direct mail products, as well as other cost reductions across our remaining product lines. This represents a decrease of 28.4% from $30.3 million in the prior year quarter, which included a loss on extinguishment of debt and related charges, net of tax, of $3.4 million. Excluding these non-recurring charges, second-quarter 2012 adjusted net earnings* were $32.4 million compared to second-quarter 2011 adjusted net earnings* of $33.7 million.

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07.27.2012
Bemis Company Reports 2012 Second Quarter Results

Bemis Company, Inc. today reported diluted earnings of $0.40 per share for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012. Diluted earnings per share would have been $0.54 for the second quarter of 2012, excluding the effect of facility consolidation and acquisition-related integration charges detailed in the attached schedule, “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Data.”

Total Bemis net sales for the second quarter of 2012 was $1.3 billion, a 4.2 percent decrease from the same period of 2011, reflecting the impact of lower unit volume in the flexible packaging business segment. Acquisitions completed during the second half of 2011 increased second quarter net sales by an estimated 1.5 percent. The impact of currency translation reduced net sales by 4.8 percent.

Diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2012 was $0.40 compared to $0.51 per share in the same quarter of 2011.

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07.27.2012
Nike, Walmart, Levi’s Launch Sustainable Apparel Index

Walmart, Nike, Target, JC Penney, Levi’s and fellow members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition have unveiled the group’s index for measuring the environmental impact of apparel products across the supply chain.

The Higg Index is an indicator-based tool for apparel that allows clothing manufacturers and brands to evaluate material types, products, facilities and processes based on a range of environmental and product design choices.

This 1.0 version of the index was developed for apparel products and measures environmental outcomes in water use and quality; energy and greenhouse gas; waste; and chemicals and toxicity.

Future releases of the index, slated for 2013, will include footwear products and social and labor impact areas, the coalition said. The index eventually will be expanded to include quantitative data and metrics and feature an improved scoring method.

The current version of the Higg Index asks practice-based, qualitative questions to gauge environmental sustainability performance. It’s based on the Eco Index and Nike’s Apparel Environmental Design Tool. However, the Higg Index has been significantly enhanced through the pilot testing period, the coalition said.

The tool includes a Materials Sustainability Index, a cradle-to-gate assessment tool to give designers and the global supply chain information on the environmental sustainability of materials.

A group of 30 manufacturers and retailers launched the Sustainable Apparel Coalition last year to improve the environmental and social performance of the apparel and footwear industry, from water consumption and chemical use to waste and embedded energy in products.
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07.27.2012
Vistaprint Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Results

Vistaprint N.V., a leading online provider of professional marketing products and services to micro businesses and the home, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012 grew to $250.4 million, a 20 percent increase over revenue of $208.8 million reported in the same quarter a year ago. Excluding Albumprinter and Webs combined revenue of $15.4 million, total fourth quarter revenue was $235.0 million. For the full fiscal year, revenue grew to $1,020.3 million, a 25 percent increase over revenue of $817.0 million in fiscal year 2011. Excluding the estimated impact from currency exchange rate fluctuations and revenue from acquired businesses, total revenue grew 17 percent year over year in the fourth quarter and 20 percent for the full year.
• Gross margin (revenue minus the cost of revenue as a percent of total revenue) in the fourth quarter was 64.6 percent, compared to 63.9 percent in the same quarter a year ago. For the full fiscal year, gross margin was 65.2 percent, compared to 64.8 percent in fiscal year 2011.
• Operating income in the fourth quarter was $5.1 million, or 2.0 percent of revenue, and reflected a 70 percent decrease compared to operating income of $17.0 million, or 8.1 percent of revenue, in the same quarter a year ago. For the full fiscal year, operating income was $55.2 million, or 5.4 percent of revenue, a 41 percent decrease compared to operating income of $93.1 million, or 11.4 percent of revenue, in the prior fiscal year.

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07.27.2012
Wausau Paper to Market Metsä Tissue’s Premium Pan Liners to North American Commercial Baking Industry

Wausau Paper and Metsä Tissue Corporation, part of Metsä Group based in Espoo, Finland, today announced a definitive multi-year agreement through which Wausau Paper will be the main North American distributor for Metsä Tissue’s line of silicone-coated pan liners, marketing these products under the Wausau Paper ProRedi® brand of commercial baking papers.

Wausau’s Paper segment is a manufacturer of technical specialty papers for the Food, Tape & Industrial, and Coated & Liner sectors. The Company is a leader in North American commercial food preparation, packaging and service segments. Its extensive line of specialty baking papers includes the Eco Select™ pan liner, winner of a 2011 Baking Management Innovation Award for Packaging and Handling products. With the addition of Metsä Tissue’s premium silicone-coated pan liners, Wausau’s ProRedi® family of products now offers North American baking professionals the broadest range of baking release papers, combining high-temperature non-char performance with superior release qualities suitable for all premium applications.

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07.27.2012
U.S. Postal Service Releases Sustainability and Energy Scorecard

The U.S. Postal Service recently presented its Sustainability and Energy Scorecard to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OMB Sustainability and Energy Scorecard is a reporting tool that federal government agencies use to publicly report progress against their sustainability goals.

“The Postal Service is committed to being a sustainability leader and our scorecard results demonstrate great progress toward sustainability goals including reducing energy and potable water intensity, and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Chief Sustainability Officer, Thomas G. Day.

Progress noted in USPS’ OMB Sustainability and Energy Scorecard includes the following reductions:
•Facility energy intensity — 22.4 percent toward a 30 percent reduction goal by fiscal year (FY) 2015, from a 2003 baseline.
•Potable water intensity — 18.5 percent toward a 26 percent goal by FY 2020, from a 2007 baseline.
•Greenhouse gas emissions—16.1 percent in 2011 toward a 20 percent reduction goal by FY 2020, from a 2008 baseline.

In order to reduce energy and water intensity — measured as usage per square foot — the Postal Service uses sustainable features in its buildings, including high efficiency lighting, recycled building materials, solar energy systems and low water use fixtures. The agency has one green roof in New York City and is adding another in Syracuse, NY. These green roofs will help the Postal Service save energy and reduce pollutants in storm water runoff.
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07.27.2012
Tembec reports financial results for its third quarter ended June 23, 2012

Consolidated sales for the three-month period ended June 23, 2012, were $415 million, as compared to $448 million in the comparable period of the prior year. The Company generated a net loss of $5 million or $0.05 per share in the June 2012 quarter compared to net earnings of $17 million or $0.17 per share in the June 2011 quarter. Operating earnings before depreciation, amortization and other items (adjusted EBITDA) was $27 million for the three-month period ended June 23, 2012, as compared to adjusted EBITDA of $33 million a year ago and adjusted EBITDA of $2 million in the prior quarter.

The Specialty Cellulose and Chemical Pulp segment generated adjusted EBITDA of $18 million on sales of $167 million for the quarter ended June 23, 2012, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $31 million on sales of $176 million in the prior quarter. Sales decreased by $9 million primarily as a result of lower shipments.

The Paper segment generated adjusted EBITDA of $9 million on sales of $86 million for the quarter ended June 2012, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $4 million on sales of $79 million in the prior quarter. Higher coated bleached board and newsprint shipments caused the $7 million increase in sales. In terms of market, coated bleached board was stable. Newsprint also remained stable despite continued weaker North American demand statistics. The US $ reference prices for coated bleached board and for newsprint were unchanged. Overall, prices were unchanged quarter-over-quarter. Coated bleached board shipments were equal to 96% of capacity as compared to 86% in the prior quarter. The shipment to capacity percentage for newsprint was 87%, compared to 85% in the prior quarter. Manufacturing costs at the coated bleached board facility declined by $2 million primarily as a result of higher productivity as the mill produced 9% more tonnes. Manufacturing costs at the newsprint mill declined by $1 million, primarily due to lower energy costs.

The High-Yield Pulp segment generated adjusted EBITDA of $5 million on sales of $101 million for the quarter ended June 23, 2012, compared to negative adjusted EBITDA of $16 million on sales of $77 million in the prior quarter. Sales increased by $24 million based on a combination of higher shipments and prices. Market conditions for high-yield pulp remained weak in the most recent quarter. While the US $ reference prices for bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) increased over the prior quarter by US $62 per tonne, it did so from a very low price. The increase did not carry over fully to high-yield pulp as price compression had occurred previously and the BEK increase served to re-establish the normal differential in pricing.

The Forest Products segment generated negative adjusted EBITDA of $2 million on sales of $86 million for the quarter ended June 23, 2012, compared to negative adjusted EBITDA of $11 million on sales of $112 million in the prior quarter. The sale of the Company’s two B.C. sawmills at the end of the prior quarter had a significant impact on sales. The sawmills had shipped 91 million board feet of lumber in the prior quarter and had generated lumber, chip and by-product revenues of $44 million.

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07.27.2012
Weyerhaeuser Reports Second Quarter Results

Weyerhaeuser Company today reported net earnings of $84 million for the second quarter, or 16 cents per diluted share, on net sales of $1.8 billion. This compares with net earnings of $10 million on net sales from continuing operations of $1.6 billion for the same period last year.

2Q 2012 Performance - Timberlands - The segment's earnings increased $7 million compared with the first quarter, primarily due to seasonally higher fee harvest in the West and South and increased demand for domestic and export logs. Average selling prices for export logs declined, and domestic prices for Western and Southern logs rose slightly.

3Q 2012 Outlook - Weyerhaeuser expects comparable earnings from the Timberlands segment in the third quarter. The company expects higher earnings from the disposition of non-strategic timberlands, partially offset by lower domestic selling prices for Western logs and a decline in Southern log price realizations due to mix.

2Q 2012 Performance - Wood Products - Results before special items improved $43 million compared with the first quarter, primarily due to higher selling prices for lumber and oriented strand board and operational improvements. Lumber prices increased 13 percent, and prices for oriented strand board improved 9 percent. Sales volumes increased substantially.

Special items for the second quarter include a $6 million pre-tax gain on the sale of property.

3Q 2012 Outlook - Weyerhaeuser anticipates lower earnings from the Wood Products segment in the third quarter. The company expects comparable sales volumes for most products and seasonally lower selling prices for lumber.

2Q 2012 Performance - Cellulose Fibers - The segment's earnings declined $12 million. Average selling prices for pulp were approximately flat compared with first quarter. Planned maintenance costs increased and sales volumes declined due to timing of shipments and reduced pulp production resulting from operational issues experienced during the quarter. First and second quarter each included two scheduled annual maintenance outages.

3Q 2012 Outlook - Weyerhaeuser expects significantly higher earnings from the Cellulose Fibers segment in the third quarter. The company anticipates improved productivity, lower annual maintenance expense, and reduced chemical, energy and fiber costs, partially offset by slightly lower selling prices for pulp.

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07.27.2012
GNC Holdings, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

GNC Holdings, Inc., a leading global specialty retailer of health and wellness products, today reported its financial results for the quarter and year-to-date period ended June 30, 2012.

For the second quarter of 2012, the Company reported consolidated revenue of $619.1 million, an increase of 19.4% over consolidated revenue of $518.5 million for the second quarter of 2011. Revenue increased in each of the Company's segments: retail by 19.3%, franchise by 25.0%, and manufacturing/wholesale by 10.7%. Same store sales increased 12.9% in domestic company-owned stores (including GNC.com sales), representing the Company's 28th consecutive quarter of positive same store sales growth. In domestic franchise locations, same store sales increased 15.8%.

Adjusted EBITDA, which the Company defines as net income before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, sponsor obligation payments, transaction related costs and executive severance, for the second quarter of 2012 was $129.1 million, a $41.5 million, or 47.4%, increase over adjusted EBITDA of $87.6 million for the second quarter of 2011. Adjusted EBITDA was 20.8% of revenue for the second quarter of 2012, compared to 16.9% for the second quarter of 2011.

For the second quarter of 2012, the Company reported net income of $66.7 million, compared to $36.0 million for the second quarter of 2011. Net income for the second quarter of 2011 included non-recurring expenses associated with executive severance and a partial repayment of the Company's Term Loan Facility with a portion of the proceeds from the IPO. Excluding these 2011 expenses and the related tax impact, net income for the second quarter of 2012 increased $25.4 million or 61.5% over adjusted net income of $41.3 million for the second quarter of 2011. Earnings per share were $0.62 for the second quarter of 2012, a 59.0% increase over adjusted earnings per share of $0.39 for the second quarter of 2011.

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07.27.2012
Cataloger plants mobile seeds to reduce expenditures

Usually retailers build mobile commerce sites to make money. Appleseed’s, a division of Orchard Brands, created mobile sites for its three brands to save money. Parent company Orchard Brands built m-commerce sites for others of its brands, as well, all aimed at taking advantage of a U.S. Postal Service promotion. For $299 a month per m-commerce site, Orchard Brands has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in postage costs.

Here’s how it works. The U.S. Postal Service is running a summer promotion that gives a 3% postage discount to retailers that include two-dimensional bar codes such as QR codes in their catalogs or other mailers that link to the mobile web. QR codes when scanned by a smartphone with a free 2-D bar code reader app link a smartphone user to mobile web-based content such as a video or a mobile-optimized product page.

Appleseed’s wanted to take advantage of the discount. It mails more than 60 million catalogs a year for its AppleSeeds, TogShop and LinenSource brands. So it examined the offerings of some m-commerce technology providers and decided on mShopper. It chose the vendor because it concluded mShopper could build m-commerce sites quickly and inexpensively, the merchant’s two key considerations. The vendor launched the sites in late June and early July.
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07.27.2012
ABC Raises Fees, Defers Reporting Actions

The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is making strategic changes to its reporting requirements and will be raising fees by 3 percent before the end of the year.

ABC’s board voted to defer implementation of a new publisher’s statement that would have expanded how consumer magazines report metrics for digital publications, and those that require larger magazines to report issue-by-issue data through ABC’s Rapid Report tool until new digital reporting requirements have been vetted further.

“There were a number of announcements that came out of our March board meeting that spoke to what we call our vision task force that has been working in the magazine side of our business,” says Neal Lulofs, EVP of communications & strategic planning, GM ABC Interactive. “It has been publishers, advertisers and ad agencies and they outlined a broad vision for where we would be moving with regard to auditing and reporting, especially in the digital realm. It encompassed reporting broader digital metrics within ABC audit reports.”

As previously reported by Folio: sister pub Audience Development, the new Publisher’s Statement requires publishers to report the number of unique browsers or devices accessing their digital magazines, as well as total visits and average visit duration. The reports will also call for greater detail on print and digital magazine subscriptions and single-copy sales.

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07.27.2012
Deluxe Reports Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results

Deluxe Corporation announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012.

Second Quarter 2012 Highlights:
• Revenue for the quarter was $371.0 million compared to $346.3 million during the second quarter of 2011. Revenue increased 7.1% compared to 2011, driven by 14.8% growth in Small Business Services. Marketing solutions and other services revenue increased 29.9% compared to 2011 and represented 17.5% of consolidated revenue, up from 14.4% in the second quarter of 2011.
• Gross margin was 65.6 percent of revenue compared to 65.1 percent in 2011. Favorable impacts from price increases and the Company’s continued cost reduction initiatives more than offset increased delivery rates, material costs and performance based compensation expense in 2012.
• Operating income in 2012 was $73.6 million compared to $64.0 million in the second quarter of 2011. Restructuring and transaction-related costs were $2.3 million in 2012 versus $5.0 million in 2011. These costs were primarily attributable to the Company’s on-going cost reduction initiatives. Operating income was 19.8 percent of revenue compared to 18.5 percent in the prior year driven primarily by higher revenue per order and continued cost reductions.

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07.27.2012
Facebook ads around 84% of total revenue

Facebook Inc. published its Q2 2012 earnings report July 26, showing a 32% increase in revenue to $1.18 billion, with growth in users from 901 million to 955 million, said COO Sheryl Sandberg in the company earnings call. Sandberg says that in Q2, Facebook reported its advertising revenue at $992 million – about 84% of its total revenue as of Q2, and a 28% increase from the same quarter last year.

Part of the boost is due to the "encouraging results" of Facebook's expanded rollout of sponsored ads in newsfeed stories, says Sandberg, adding that that these types of advertisements perform better than ads than the site's traditional right column ads.

“Newsfeed functions in the same way on desktop [as it does on] mobile so with the Newsfeed, marketing [is seamless],” said Sanberg, “We have partnered with Nielsen to show that in a study of over 500 ad campaigns, Facebook drives 31% more brand awareness than non-Facebook ads.” She added that “the best type of advertising is a message from a friend.”

Facebook noted in its earnings report that it has “independent ROI data” from more than 60 ad campaigns on the platform, which show that 70% of campaigns resulted in a return on ad spend of three times or better, and 49% of campaigns showed a return on ad spend of five times or better.

Other efforts in Facebook advertising, Sandberg noted, include “rolling out new ad products, demonstrating ROI of ad spend, and making it easier for advertisers to work with us.” Getting small to medium size businesses to become comfortable with advertising on Facebook is a prime priority at present, Sandberg stated.

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07.27.2012
AAA Fuel Gage & Exchange Rates

AAA’s Fuel Gage Report as of 7/27/12
National Unleaded Regular:
Current Average - $3.488/gallon
Month Ago Average - $3.383/gallon
Year Ago Average - $3.698/gallon
Highest Recorded Average - $4.114/gallon on 7/17/08
Diesel:
Current Average - $3.768/gallon
Month Ago Average - $3.691/gallon
Year Ago Average - $3.961/gallon
Highest Recorded Average - $4.845/gallon on 7/17/08

Current Exchange Rates as of 7/26/12
American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.992231 (120 day high - 1.01905 on April 26, 2012; low 0.961252 on June 5, 2012)
American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.156611 (120 day high – 0.159363 on May 2, 2012; low 0.156521 on July 13, 2012)
American Dollar to Euro = 1.226 (120 day high - 1.3454 on February 28, 2012; low 1.2089 on July 24, 2012)
American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.0127988 (120 day high – 0.0128855 on February 13, 2012; low 0.0119026 on March 21, 2012)
American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.0742054 (120 day high – 0.0793808 on March 14, 2012; low 0.0691788 on June 1, 2012)

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07.27.2012
Oil Rises for Third Day on U.S. Economy, Euro Pledge

Oil rose for a third day as U.S. reports on durable goods and jobless claims reduced concern that economic growth is slowing, and the head of the European Central Bank pledged that the euro will survive.

Prices gained 0.5 percent as bookings for goods meant to last at least three years climbed more than projected in June and fewer Americans than forecast filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance payments last week. ECB President Mario Draghi said policy makers will do whatever is needed to preserve the European common currency.

“The bullish economic news is the main thing pushing oil prices up, and it does look a little more like we are seeing a turnaround in the economy,” said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research in Winchester, Massachusetts. “Draghi said they are going to defend the euro and it gave the market more confidence.”

Crude for September delivery rose 42 cents to settle at $89.39 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices have increased 15 percent from the year’s closing low of $77.69 a barrel on June 28.

Brent oil for September settlement climbed 88 cents, or 0.8 percent, to end the session at $105.26 a barrel on the London- based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

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07.27.2012
Congress to investigate data sellers

A group of U.S. representatives has opened an investigation of companies that collect and sell marketing databases and sales contact lists.

On Wednesday, Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas) sent letters to Acxiom Corp., Epsilon, Equifax Inc., Experian, Harte-Hanks, Intelius Inc., Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO), Merkle Inc. and Meredith Corp., requesting such information as the sources of the data they collect; racial, ethnic or religious information collected; methods of data collection, such as social media or mobile usage; and consumer data access and opt-out methods. The letters requested information from 14 detailed and separate categories.

Other signatories on the letters include Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).

In addition to probing for privacy issues related to behaviorally targeted advertising, the representatives said they are troubled that data rankings of prospects "classify some people as high-value prospects ... while dismissing others as low-value." They claim the practice could restrict access to education, healthcare and employment.

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07.27.2012
Aptar Group Reports Second Quarter Results

AptarGroup, Inc. today reported second quarter results and announced that the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2012, reported sales declined 6% to $578 million from $615 million a year ago. AptarGroup estimates that changes in currency exchange rates negatively impacted sales by approximately 8% in the quarter.

Commenting on the quarter, Stephen Hagge, President and CEO, said, “The diversity of our business enabled us to grow core sales in a challenging environment. Broad-based softness in Europe affected each of our business segments as the economic uncertainty there resulted in reduced consumer spending and increased caution by certain customers. Offsetting part of this weakness was strong demand from customers in Latin America and Asia.”

Hagge stated, “We are very pleased with the growth we are seeing in Asia and Latin America. Even with the challenges presented by some of the economic uncertainties in Europe and the U.S., we grew consolidated sales excluding currency effects by 4% over the prior year’s strong level.”

Year-to-date reported sales decreased 2% to $1.17 billion from $1.19 billion a year ago. Changes in exchange rates negatively impacted sales by approximately 6%. Reported diluted earnings per share, which included a negative impact of $0.06 per share related to Stelmi acquisition costs, decreased 9% to $1.24 per share compared to $1.37 per share a year ago. If the 2012 exchange rates were in place in 2011, AptarGroup estimates that the earnings per share for the first six months of 2011 would have been approximately $1.30 per share.

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07.27.2012
Amazon.com Announces Second Quarter Sales up 29% to $12.83 Billion

Amazon.com, Inc. today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2012.

Operating cash flow was $3.22 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $3.21 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2011. Free cash flow decreased 40% to $1.10 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $1.83 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2011.

Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 468 million on June 30, 2012, consistent with 468 million one year ago.

Net sales increased 29% to $12.83 billion in the second quarter, compared with $9.91 billion in second quarter 2011. Excluding the $272 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales would have grown 32% compared with second quarter 2011.

Operating income was $107 million in the second quarter, compared with $201 million in second quarter 2011. The unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $8 million.

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07.27.2012
Domtar Corporation reports preliminary second quarter 2012 financial results

Domtar Corporation today reported net earnings of $59 million ($1.61 per share) for the second quarter of 2012 compared to net earnings of $28 million ($0.76 per share) for the first quarter of 2012 and net earnings of $54 million ($1.30 per share) for the second quarter of 2011. Sales for the second quarter of 2012 amounted to $1.4 billion.

Excluding items listed below, the Company had earnings before items1 of $59 million ($1.61 per share) for the second quarter of 2012 compared to earnings before items1 of $61 million ($1.65 per share) for the first quarter of 2012 and earnings before items1 of $98 million ($2.37 per share) for the second quarter of 2011.

Good financial results despite the impact of lack-of-order downtime in paper
(All financial information is in U.S. dollars, and all earnings per share results are diluted, unless otherwise noted.)

Second quarter 2012 net earnings of $1.61 per share, earnings before items1 of $1.61 per share
Year-to-date shipments of specialty and packaging paper increased 12% compared to 2011
Share buybacks totaled $69 million in the second quarter of 2012

First quarter 2012 items:

Premium paid and costs related to the debt repurchase of $50 million ($30 million after tax);
Closure and restructuring costs, including write-down of property, plant and equipment, of $3 million ($2 million after tax); and
Negative impact of purchase accounting of $1 million ($1 million after tax).

Second quarter 2011 items:

Charge of $62 million ($38 million after tax) related to the impairment and write-down of property, plant and equipment;
Net losses on the sale of property, plant and equipment and business of $6 million ($5 million after tax); and
Closure and restructuring costs of $2 million ($1 million after tax).

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07.27.2012
Pearson 2012 half-year results

Sales up 6% to £2.6bn*
Strong growth in Education (up 9%) and the FT Group (up 7%).
Penguin sales 4% lower on phasing of publishing schedule and continued industry change.

First-half operating profit lower, as expected, at £188m (2011: £208m)
Education profits up 6% on growth in North America (up 30%) and International (up 17%).
Professional profits £17m lower. New funding criteria for 16-18 year old apprenticeships result in sharp decline in volumes; UK training business reshaped.
Sale of FTSE International reduces first-half operating profit by £10m; excluding FTSE, FT Group profits level in spite of increased restructuring charge.
Penguin profits lower at £22m (H1 2011: £42m) on drop-through from lower first-half sales; stronger publishing schedule in H2.

Rapid growth in digital and services businesses and developing markets
Sales up approximately 20% in developing markets (headline growth)
Education digital platform registrations up 30%; FT digital subscriptions up 31% and now exceed print circulation; Penguin ebook revenues up 33% and now almost 20% of Penguin’s revenues.
Revenues from digital and services to exceed traditional publishing businesses in 2012.
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07.26.2012
Silgan Announces Second Quarter Earnings

Silgan Holdings Inc., a leading supplier of rigid consumer goods packaging products, today reported second quarter 2012 net income of $10.6 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, as compared to second quarter 2011 net income of $51.2 million, or $0.73 per diluted share. Adjusted net income per diluted share was $0.55 for the second quarter of 2012 as compared to $0.53 for the second quarter of 2011, after adjustments increasing net income per diluted share by $0.40 for the second quarter of 2012 and adjustments decreasing net income per diluted share by $0.20 for the second quarter of 2011. A reconciliation of net income per diluted share to “adjusted net income per diluted share,” a Non-GAAP financial measure used by the Company, which adjusts net income per diluted share for certain items, can be found in Tables A and B at the back of this press release.

“Second quarter 2012 was a bit more challenging than expected as we delivered adjusted net income per diluted share of $0.55,” said Tony Allott, President and CEO. “While we do expect some volume shift between quarters, we were disappointed with our metal food container volumes thus far as the vegetable pack got off to a slow start and we saw a less favorable mix of products sold versus the prior year period due in large part to the timing of shipments. In addition, weaker demand patterns in Europe negatively impacted volumes and pricing in both our metal containers and closures operations. However, our businesses are reacting well to these challenges, and our plastic container business continues to show signs of improvement in its operating performance,” continued Mr. Allott. “Based on our year-to-date performance and despite caution for the second half of the year, at this time we are confirming our full year 2012 earnings estimate of adjusted net income per diluted share in the range of $2.80 to $2.90,” concluded Mr. Allott.

Net sales for the second quarter of 2012 were $821.6 million, a decrease of $0.6 million as compared to $822.2 million in 2011. This decrease was the result of lower net sales over the prior year period in the metal container and closures businesses due primarily to the impact of unfavorable foreign currency translation, partially offset by higher net sales in the plastic container business.

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07.26.2012
Sonoco Outlines Sustainability Progress in its 2011-2012 Corporate Responsibility Report

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today released its 2011-2012 Corporate Responsibility Report, outlining the Company's continued progress in achieving its global sustainability targets.

A key initiative for Sonoco is the development of a new $75 million biomass cogeneration system at its Hartsville, S.C., manufacturing complex. This boiler system will be fueled by wood wastes from regional logging activity to produce low-cost steam and "green" energy, primarily for use in the Company's paper mill operations. Once operational in late 2013, the biomass cogeneration system is expected to significantly reduce energy costs, greenhouse gas (GHG) and other air emissions, resulting in annual operating savings of approximately $14 million.

In 2011, Sonoco continued to expand U.S. recycling operations, growing collections by 6 percent with an emphasis on developing new comingled residential material recovery facilities (MRFs). The Company now serves nearly 150 communities and expanded MRFs in Columbia, Charleston and Greenville, S.C., and Charlotte, Raleigh and Jacksonville, N.C.

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07.26.2012
Clearwater Paper Reports Strong Second Quarter 2012 Results

Clearwater Paper Corporation today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2012.

The company reported net earnings of $21.5 million, or $0.91 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2012, compared to net earnings of $13.9 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2011.

Second quarter 2012 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, was $64.2 million, compared to $52.4 million in the second quarter of 2011. Second quarter 2012 Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes approximately $1.0 million of legal expenses related to the attempt to enjoin delivery of the TAD tissue machine to the company's Shelby, North Carolina facility and a $1.0 million loss associated with the sale of legacy Cellu Tissue foam manufacturing assets, was $66.2 million.

"Strong Consumer Products and Pulp and Paperboard results produced record quarterly EBITDA," said Gordon Jones, chairman and chief executive officer. "In addition, cost savings synergies from our Cellu Tissue acquisition came in ahead of our estimates in the first two quarters of 2012, and our new paper machine facility in Shelby remains on budget and on time, with production expected to begin by year end."

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07.26.2012
O-I Reports Improved Second Quarter 2012 Results

Owens-Illinois, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2012.

Second quarter net sales were $1.766 billion in 2012, down from $1.959 billion in the prior year second quarter, primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency translation. Higher pricing in the second quarter was offset by sales volumes that were lower than the prior year quarter.

Net earnings from continuing operations attributable to the Company in the second quarter of 2012 were $134 million, or $0.81 per share (diluted), compared with net earnings from continuing operations in the second quarter of the prior year of $71 million, or $0.42 per share (diluted). Adjusted net earnings (non-GAAP) also were $134 million, or $0.81 per share (diluted), in the second quarter of 2012 as there were no items management considers not representative of ongoing operations. These results compared with second quarter 2011 adjusted net earnings of $98 million, or $0.59 per share (diluted).

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07.26.2012
Ball Reports Improved Second Quarter Results

Ball Corporation today reported second quarter net earnings attributable to the corporation of $139.5 million, or 88 cents per diluted share, on sales of $2.3 billion, compared to $143.1 million, or 84 cents per diluted share, on sales of $2.3 billion in the second quarter of 2011. Results for the first six months of 2012 were net earnings attributable to the corporation of $227.8 million, or $1.42 per diluted share, on sales of $4.3 billion, compared to $234.4 million, or $1.37 cents per diluted share, on sales of $4.3 billion in the first six months of 2011.

Comparable 2012 earnings per diluted share for the second quarter and year-to-date were 89 cents and $1.52, respectively versus second quarter and year-to-date 2011 comparable earnings per diluted share of 85 cents and $1.43, respectively.

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07.26.2012
The McGraw-Hill Companies Reports Record 2nd Quarter and 1st Half Adjusted EPS

The McGraw-Hill Companies today reported revenue of $1,547 million in the second quarter, a decrease of 1% compared to the same period last year, as a result of a 5% increase at McGraw-Hill Financial and a 12% decline at McGraw-Hill Education. Net income from continuing operations increased 2% to $216 million and diluted earnings per share increased 11% to $0.76.

Excluding the impact of one-time costs related to the Growth and Value Plan, adjusted net income from continuing operations increased 15% to $243 million and adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 25% to a second quarter record of $0.85. This increase, similar to the first quarter, was primarily due to strong growth at Commodities & Commercial and S&P Capital IQ / S&P Indices.
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07.26.2012
Kimberly-Clark Announces Second Quarter 2012 Results

Kimberly-Clark Corporation today reported second quarter 2012 results, updated several key full-year planning assumptions and increased its guidance for 2012 adjusted earnings per share.

Executive Summary
•Second quarter 2012 net sales of $5.3 billion were even with the year-ago period. Organic sales rose 5 percent, driven by higher net selling prices and sales volumes. The organic growth was highlighted by a 9 percent increase in K-C International.
•Diluted net income per share for the second quarter of 2012 was $1.26 versus $1.03 in 2011.
•Second quarter adjusted earnings per share were $1.30 in 2012 compared to $1.18 in 2011. The improvement was driven by organic sales growth, cost savings and lower commodity costs, partially offset by increased marketing, research and general spending and unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates. Adjusted earnings per share in both periods exclude costs for pulp and tissue restructuring actions.

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07.26.2012
Smurfit Kappa Group to Hike Price for Recycled Containerboard

Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) announced an EUR 100 per tonne price increase on recycled containerboard, effective Sept. 1, 2012, according to a report from Deutsche Bank (DB).

SKG cited tight global supplies of kraft liner as one key driver.

DB said that its global trade contacts — including prominent containerboard brokers — are confirming this situation.

In the recycled grades, SKG noted that the increase is necessary to restore margins following recent price declines and better-than-expected demand, DB said.

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07.26.2012
Newsweek Will 'Eventually' Go Digital-Only

InterActive Corp. CEO Barry Diller told analysts in a conference call that the "transition" of Newsweek "to online from print will take place. We're examining all our options." Diller's statement came two days after it became known that IAC had gained a controlling interest in Newsweek Daily Beast Co. after the family of the late Sidney Harman announced that they were freezing their investment.

Audio-stereo magnate Sidney Harman had purchased Newsweek from The Washington Post Co. for a nominal $1 plus about $50 million in liabilities in August 2010, and three months later, he and Diller agreed to the merger of print (Newsweek) and Web (The Daily Beast). Harman had an emotional attachment to Newsweek and the financial wherewithal to absorb the losses (The Daily Beast is a money-loser, too), but his death in April 2011 at 92 years old took away the first part of the equation.

Newsweek's 2012 ad pages are +4.07% through July 23, but that is misleading because its advertising base had atrophied in 2009/2010/2011.Rival Time, though -20.47% through the same issue date, had carried nearly 213 more ad pages (604.45 versus 391.47).

Although no complete decision is expected before September, a possible scenario would be reducing the Newsweek print schedule to specials before fully going digital.That would match the strategy of the Mort Zuckerman-owned U.S. News & World Report in 2009, but the difference is that the digital side of Newsweek is The Daily Beast. (USN&WR is a standalone.)

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07.26.2012
Smartphone Buyers Opt For Android Over iPhone

People buying smartphones for the first time are overwhelmingly opting for Android devices over iPhones, according to a comScore study. The research showed that among U.S. feature phone owners upgrading to a smartphone in April, 61% are buying Android devices and 25% are buying an iPhone. Another 7% are choosing a Windows Phone device, and nearly 5% a BlackBerry phone.

Android’s dominance extends to existing smartphone owners getting new smartphones. More than half (54.2%) chose an Android-powered phone compared to 33.5% getting an iPhone. Almost 10% in this category bought a BlackBerry phone, and 3% a Windows Phone device.

Apple Tuesday announced selling 26 million iPhones in the quarter ending June 30, a 28% increase from a year ago but down from the 35 million sold in the prior quarter in 2012. The dropoff may in part reflect consumers holding off buying a new phone until the expected release of the latest iPhone model this fall.

Underscoring the strong demand for Android phones, Samsung earlier this week said sales of the Galaxy S III had surpassed 10 million units since going on sale in Europe in late May and in the U.S. in late June and early July. That puts the flagship Android phone on pace to easily outstrip the 30 million Galaxy S II devices for all of 2011.

Separate comScore data earlier this month showed Android was the top smartphone platform in the U.S., with the Google operating system running on more than half (51%) of smartphones, as of May. Apple’s iOS was a distant second, at almost 32%.
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07.26.2012
Social media revenue will hit $16.9 billion this year

Social media revenue will reach $16.9 billion this year, up 43.2% from $11.8 billion a year ago, according to a report released today by research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. The projection comes a day before Facebook Inc. releases its second quarter earnings.

Advertising, projected to reach $8.8 billion this year, will drive the largest share of that revenue as marketers allocate a higher percentage of their ad budgets to social networking sites, says the report, “Forecast: Social Media Revenue, Worldwide, 2011-2016.” Social gaming, expected to reach $6.2 billion, makes up the bulk of the additional revenue. Gartner did not detail where the rest of the revenue will come from, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Social networks appeal to advertisers because they offer a large pool of engaged users, says Gartner. For instance, as of March roughly 58% of Facebook’s 901 million users logged on to the social network every day. Those users spend considerable time on those sites. Social networking accounts for one of six minutes spent online, a comScore Inc. report found earlier this year. And those consumers share a tremendous amount of information about themselves and their interests on those sites, which enables marketers to finely target ads to distinct customer segments, says Gartner.
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07.26.2012
International Paper Reports Second Quarter Earnings

International Paper today reported second-quarter 2012 net earnings attributable to common shareholders totaling $134 million ($0.31 per share) compared with net earnings of $188 million ($0.43 per share) in the first quarter of 2012 and $219 million ($0.51 per share) in the second quarter of 2011. Amounts in all periods include the impact of special items.

Earnings from continuing operations and before special items in the second quarter of 2012 totaled $203 million ($0.46 per share), compared with $247 million ($0.57 per share) in the first quarter of 2012 and $338 million ($0.79 per share) in the second quarter of 2011. Earnings from continuing operations and before special items were impacted by seasonally peak maintenance outage expenses and an unfavorable non-cash foreign exchange swing at our Ilim joint venture in Russia. Partially offsetting these items were Temple-Inland integration benefits and synergies tracking ahead of plan as well as modest improvements in costs and pricing.

Quarterly net sales were $7.1 billion compared with $6.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012 and $6.6 billion in the second quarter of 2011.

Operating profits were $426 million in the second quarter of 2012, down from $462 million in the first quarter of 2012, both of which included special items.

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07.26.2012
Graphic Packaging Holding Company Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

Graphic Packaging Holding Company, a leading provider of packaging solutions to food, beverage and other consumer products companies, today reported Net Income for second quarter 2012 of $42.4 million, or $0.11 per share, based upon 397.8 million weighted average diluted shares. This compares to second quarter 2011 Net Income of $32.1 million, or $0.08 per share, based upon 384.5 million weighted average diluted shares.

Net Sales increased 2.9% to $1,111.9 million during second quarter 2012, compared to second quarter 2011 Net Sales of $1,080.7 million. The $31.2 million increase resulted from $25.2 million of favorable volume/mix and $12.0 million of higher pricing, partially offset by $6.0 million of unfavorable exchange rates.

On a segment basis, Paperboard Packaging sales, which comprised 83.5% of total second quarter Net Sales, increased 0.2% compared to the second quarter of 2011. Net sales in the Flexible Packaging segment increased 19.0% compared to the second quarter of 2011. The increase was primarily the result of the addition of Delta Natural Kraft, LLC and Mid-America Packaging, LLC on December 8, 2011 along with inflationary price recovery.

EBITDA for second quarter 2012 was $171.2 million. Excluding $5.2 million of special charges primarily related to Graphic Flexible Packaging integration costs, Adjusted EBITDA was $176.4 million. This compares to second quarter 2011 EBITDA of $147.6 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $150.1 million.

When comparing against the prior year quarter, Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2012 was positively impacted by $29.1 million of improved operating performance and cost reduction initiatives, $12.0 million of higher pricing and $5.1 million of favorable volume/mix. These benefits were partially offset by $18.1 million of cost inflation and $1.8 million of unfavorable exchange rates/other.

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07.26.2012
Country Sampler Tweaks Color Correction, Saves Big

For image-heavy publications, the color-correction stage is a critical pre-press process and, if adjusted for maximum precision, can be an area where publishers can save big on printing costs.

Karen Elston Davis, prepress manager for Country Sampler Group, began a quest last year to find a method that could dramatically decrease color correction time while improving quality and color balance. The magazine manages 800-1,000 images in an eight-week turnaround. Images are an important component to the brand’s identity, which caters to readers seeking country-style home tours, design tips and information about antiques, collectables and folk art. Efficiently managing hundreds of images is essential for the group, who wants to focus on new work, like adding various treatments to images, or enhancing images for digital editions.

Elston Davis settled on a Photoshop plug-in called ICEit! by FineEye Color Solutions, which captures significantly more original image color when converting from RGB to CMYK. The plug-in replaces default color separation settings and allows a user to complete an accurate color correction with one simple click.

Elston Davis states that the plug-in has saved “a ton of time doing color revision” and adds that the design team doesn’t “have to put out a second proof.” According to Elston Davis, color correction for Country Sampler has decreased from 60-80 percent down to 10-15 percent.

It almost goes without saying that printing fewer error-filled copies can save time, paper and ink. What is less obvious is that it has the potential to cut costs and increase readership. Country Sampler typically runs off about 550,000 copies, and until recently, anywhere from 80,000-130,000 of those copies had color problems. Since implementing the plug-in, that number has been significantly reduced to 30,000-50,000 flawed copies—a reduction of nearly two-thirds. The magazine has gained tens of thousands of quality usable books that can be provided to subscribers and newsstand customers. More copies mean potentially more readers, something every publisher should welcome.

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07.26.2012
EURO-GRAPH Publishes June Monthly Statistics of the European Graphic Papers Industry

Total European shipments of graphic papers was down 6.8% vs. June 2011 and is down 4.6% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Newsprint was down 6.7% vs. June 2011 and is down 4.9% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of SC-Magazine grades was down 11.5% vs. June 2011 and is down 3.6% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Coated Mechanical Reels was down 14.8% vs. June 2011 and is down 7.0% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Uncoated Mechanical was down 10.3% vs. June 2011 and is down 6.6% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Coated Woodfree was up 2.3% vs. June 2011 and is down 3.0% year-to-date.

Total European shipments of Uncoated Woodfree was down 2.2% vs. June 2011 and is down 3.5% year-to-date.

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