** charts after earnings **
Warner Music Group Corp. reported Monday a breakeven fiscal fourth quarter, missing expectations, although revenue rose slightly above forecasts. The stock rose 0.8% in premarket trading. Net income for the quarter to Sept. 30 fell to $1 million, or $0.00 on a per-share basis, from $91 million, or 18 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The FactSet consensus for net earnings per share was 5 cents. Adjusted net income, which excludes non-recurring items related to the initial public offering, fell to $20 million from $125 million. Revenue rose 0.2% to $1.13 billion, just above the FactSet consensus of $1.11 billion, as "robust" digital revenue growth was partially offset by a decline in recorded music artist services, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its music publishing business. "We're essentially flat against a record-breaking prior year and, during the quarter, we grew 11% on an as-reported basis, excluding the revenue streams most impacted by COVID," said Chief Executive Steve Cooper. "Our streaming growth has stayed strong, and we've also seen an acceleration in a whole spectrum of emerging revenue streams such as social media, gaming, and in-home fitness." The stock has lost 3.7% over the past three months through Friday, while the S&P 500 has gained 4.7%.
