Harlequin

Year Sales Profits Margins
2010 C$117.9 C$20.6 17.5%
2011 C$110.3 C$16.3 14.8%


% Change in Sales: -6.4%
% Change in Profit: -20.9%

Retail print book sales fell C$10.8 million in the quarter, offsetting a C$7.3 million increase in e-book sales. In addition to lower sales, profits were hurt by higher returns, due in part to the bankruptcy of Borders. E-book sales accounted for 15% of revenue in the quarter, up from 7% in last year's second period. Harlequin expects profit to improve in the second half as return rates fall.

Penguin Group*

Year Sales Profits Margins
2010 £493.0 £44.0 8.9%
2011 £457.0 £42.0 9.2%

*Six Months
% Change in Sales: -7.3%
& Change in Profit: -4.5%

Excluding currency fluctuations and one-time reporting adjustments, sales were flat with the first six months of 2010 and profits up 13%. E-book sales rose 128% and accounted for 14% of worldwide sales. Print book sales in the U.S. and Australia were disrupted by the bankruptcies of Borders and REDgroup, respectively.

McGraw-Hill Education

Year Sales Profits Margins
2010 $565.1 $51.6 9.1%
2011 $536.6 $42.2 7.9%


% Change in Sales: -5.1%
% Change in Profits: -18.3%

The second quarter decline at MHE came entirely at its school group, where revenue fell 10.1%, to $292.2 million, due in part to delayed ordering from states and school districts. Sales in the higher education/professional/international division rose 1.8%, to $244.4 million, led by strong gains in digital sales in the higher ed and professional businesses.


Source: Publishers Weekly