Revenues Up, Income Down For Nielsen In Fourth Quarter 2016

Reports Results

NIELSEN HOLDINGS PLC fourth-quarter 2016 revenues were up 2% to $1.656 billion (up 3.4% on a constant currency basis).  Buy segment revenues fell 1.3% to $868 million (up 0.9% on a constant currency basis); Watch segment revenues rose 5.8% to $788 million (up 6.2% on a constant currency basis), while Audio revenues fell 1.6%. Net income fell 36.7% to $159 million (44 cents/diluted share), attributed to a boost of $206 million for fourth-quarter 2015 associated with an increased stake in NIELSEN CATALINA SOLUTIONS that did not apply to fourth-quarter 2016. Adjusted EBITDA increased 3.2% (3.8% on a constant currency basis) to $548 million.

CEO MITCH BARNS said, "While 2016 was a challenging year, our results reflect the resiliency of our business. We remain focused on our key strategic initiatives and we continue to drive productivity and efficiency in our operations.

“In our Watch segment, our Total Audience Measurement initiative continued to excel, and we saw significant growth in adoption of its many components by both media buyers and sellers. With the approach of the 2017 Upfronts, our Total Audience system is ready to play a key role for our clients.

“In our Buy segment, emerging markets continued to deliver solid growth. In developed markets, especially the U.S., trends in the fast moving consumer goods industry put pressure on our business. In response, we’ve accelerated investment in our Connected System initiative, designed to drive speed and efficiency for our clients. We expect this to lead to a stronger, higher margin business for NIELSEN over time."

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