Walmart Announces 3-for-1 Stock Split

Unlisted German publishing giant Bertelsmann is not considering any further large takeovers worth “billions” and has no plans to list its Penguin Random House (PRH) division, Chief Financial Officer Bernd Hirsch told newspaper Boersen-Zeitung. Bertelsmann raised its stake in PRH to 75 percent in July, giving it the option of listing the business after it purchased a PRH stake from rival Pearson . Asked whether Bertelsmann was seeking full control of PRH, Hirsch said: “We have reached our goal of gaining 75 percent control.” Buying the outstanding 25 percent stake, which is still owned by Pearson, would depend on whether Pearson approached Bertelsmann over the matter, Hirsch said. Asked whether Bertelsmann would consider listing PRH, Hirsch said: “We have the IPO option. But this is not a scenario which we are thinking about.” The progress already being made to transform Bertelsmann into a digital publishing company has reduced the need to raise funds via the stock market to finance further strategic change. “If you think in a five-year timespan, the financing need is no longer of a magnitude where large projects need to be financed via an initial public offering,” Hirsch told the paper. Bertelsmann is also not considering a sale of its Printing Group, Hirsch added.

Saveur magazine is back—in print. It will appear again in March 2024, and pre-orders are being taken right now, writes Kat Craddock, editor and CEO of Saveur. There will be two issues per year to start. The title’s previous owners stopped publishing print issues during the pandemic. Craddock says the loss was heartbreaking. The March drop will be “just in time for Saveur’s 30th anniversary,” Craddock adds.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. announced that its comparable store sales for the combined nine-week period ending December 30, 2017 increased 3.4 % over the same period last year. The Company also reaffirmed all components of its most recent full-year financial guidance for fiscal 2017. "We are very encouraged with our overall comp sales performance during the holiday season, which was led by home, beauty and fine jewelry. Additionally, our apparel categories continue to demonstrate improved comp performance, particularly in women's and kids. We are also pleased by our e-commerce business that continues to outpace prior year results with double-digit sales growth, largely driven by sought-after gifting categories such as fine jewelry, home decor and luggage, toys, boots and athletic footwear. Our ability to execute e-commerce fulfillment from 100% of our brick and mortar stores helped fuel the growth in e-commerce for the holiday season. We remain confident that our strategic initiatives are taking hold and resonating with customers," said Marvin R. Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer of JCPenney. Click Read More below for additional information.