Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports October Sales Results

With the e-book market showing no signs of returning to robust growth, two of HarperCollins’s main priorities in fiscal 2018 are global expansion and broadening its distribution base in North America, HC’s CEO Brian Murray told PW after the release of the publisher’s financial results for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. In the just-concluded year, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) was $199 million, 7.5% higher than in fiscal 2016, despite a decline of $10 million in sales. Several factors impacted HC’s sales performance: there was one fewer week in the fiscal 2017 than in fiscal 2016, which cost $19 million, and the company suffered from the negative impact of currency fluctuations. Murray said he was “thrilled” with fiscal 2017 from both a publishing and financial standpoint and that the continued decline in e-books isn’t a major concern at the moment. He noted that, in the North American market, gains in print book sales and digital audio made up for the drop in e-book sales and that HC’s print frontlist and backlist sales were almost strong enough to match the revenue generated in fiscal 2016 by Go Set a Watchman. Among the company’s top-selling titles in the year were Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines, and Jesus Calling and Jesus Always by Sarah Young. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Financial Highlights •Total revenues grew by 13% to £161.5 million (2016/17: £142.6 million). Revenues from overseas customers grew by 16% to £101.2 million, and are now 63% of total revenues •Profit before taxation and highlighted items* grew by 10% to £13.2 million (2016/17: £12.0 million), above market expectations •Proposed final dividend of 6.36p per share, making a total dividend of 7.51p per share for the year, up 12% (2016/17: 6.7p per share) •Diluted earnings per share, excluding highlighted items*, grew by 10% to 13.92p (2016/17: 12.63p) •Strong cash conversion of 161% (2017: 180%), with net cash of £25.4m at 28 February 2018 (2017: £15.5m) •Strong autumn book list and acquisition of I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd ("IBT") will mean performance for 2018/19 will be well ahead of our previous expectations. Click Read More below for additional information.

The coolest British brand in the skies? Virgin Atlantic. But don’t take our word for it – the airline is regularly voted the best British travel brand in CoolBrand’s annual report. Which is why it made perfect sense for Virgin Atlantic to pair up with Ink to reimagine its inflight magazine, Vera, and manage their ambient advertising on the ground and in the air. If you’re lucky enough to be travelling onboard a Virgin Atlantic flight to the US, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East or Asia this month, you’ll get a chance to flick through the gorgeous, new-look Vera. The new magazine is packed with stories cleverly relating to Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning onboard entertainment and dazzling destinations. For the relaunch, we bagged an exclusive interview and cover shoot with English rose turned Hollywood golden girl Annabelle Wallis. Readers can watch her go toe-to-toe with Tom Cruise in The Mummy, and then read about how she deals with her high-profile relationship with rock star Chris Martin, saving us all in an Apocalypse (probably), and life lessons she learned from Madonna. And during the shoot we got to see those life lessons IRL. If you’ve seen Annabelle star in Peaky Blinders you’ll already have heard her sultry singing voice, but at London’s Claridge’s she gave us an impromptu performance of her favourite Madonna hits. We won’t forget her Like a Virgin in a hurry. Click Read More below for more of the story.