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Shares of Daily Journal Corporation DJCO have gained 0.2% since the company reported its earnings for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2024. This compares to the S&P 500 index’s 0.7% decline over the same time frame. Over the past month, the stock has declined 4.9% compared with the S&P 500’s 3.1% decrease.
Daily Journal's fiscal 2024 net income came in at $56.73 per share compared with $15.58 per share in fiscal 2023, reflecting a remarkable 264.1% rise. This significant improvement was largely attributed to increased non-operating income, primarily from realized and unrealized gains on marketable securities.
Consolidated revenues grew 3.3% year over year to $69.9 million, up from $67.7 million in fiscal 2023. This increase was primarily driven by higher revenues from Journal Technologies’ license and maintenance fees and public service fees, partially offset by a decline in consulting fees.
Net income surged to $78.1 million compared to $21.5 million in fiscal 2023.
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Daily Journal Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Daily Journal Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Daily Journal Corp. Corporation Quote
Other Key Business Metrics
Revenues from Journal Technologies rose in fiscal 2024, offsetting a $4.7 million drop in consulting fees. However, the segment’s pretax income declined to $2.5 million from $5 million due to higher operating expenses. These costs stemmed from increased personnel costs, contractor services, and third-party hosting fees billed to clients.
The company’s Traditional Business segment saw a modest increase in advertising revenues and service fees, but pretax income declined $0.1 million year over year, primarily due to higher promotional and operational expenses.
At fiscal year-end, the company’s marketable securities portfolio was valued at $358.7 million, including $219.6 million in net pretax unrealized gains. A notable financial move during the year was the sale of $40.6 million worth of securities, generating net gains of $14.3 million. Proceeds were used to reduce the margin loan balance to $27.5 million from $75 million at the previous year-end.
Management Commentary
Management attributed fiscal 2024’s robust performance to strategic financial decisions and efforts to optimize operations across segments. The reduction in margin loan debt exemplifies a disciplined approach to balance sheet management, positioning the company for future financial stability. However, the rise in operating costs underscores the challenges associated with expanding the Journal Technologies segment.