News Corp Beats Wall Street Expectations

News Corp beat Wall Street estimates for fiscal first-quarter 2026 revenue, posting $2.144 billion versus expectations of $2.10 billion, driven by strong growth in its Dow Jones and digital real estate units.

Dow Jones, the company’s most profitable segment, saw revenue rise 6%, fueled by an 8% jump in paid digital subscriptions to 6.4 million across The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and other titles, plus new AI content-licensing deals.

Robert Thompson

Digital real estate services grew 5%, led by higher pricing and listings at Australia’s REA Group and improved lead-generation products at U.S.-based Move (realtor.com).

Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.22, topping forecasts of $0.19, while total segment EBITDA climbed 5% to $340 million.

Other units showed mixed results: News Media revenue edged up 1%, but Book Publishing slipped 2% due to a weaker title slate.

CEO Robert Thomson called the results a continuation of record profitability, highlighting the company’s digital transformation and AI revenue streams. News Corp also accelerated its share buyback program to four times last year’s pace and reaffirmed strong full-year free-cash-flow guidance.

Shares traded flat to slightly higher in after-hours action.