Nielsen N.V.’s third-quarter financial results showed healthy gains, due to Arbitron and Harris acquisitions -- and more moderate rises for its core business.
For its big Buy business
unit, revenues improved 3.5% to $878 million. Nielsen’s Buy division provides market research to consumer firms. Taking out the Harris purchase, revenue improved 2% with a 10% rise in emerging
markets.
For its more closely monitored Watch business unit -- data for TV networks/producers and advertisers -- revenue climbed 29% to $694 million. Taking out Arbitron results, Watch revenue
improved 5.2%.
Overall revenue was up 13% to $1.57 billion -- and without factoring in Arbitron and Harris, increased 2.5%. Net income of $91 million was down 30% from a year ago.
Brian Wieser, senior research analyst for Pivotal Research Group, wrote: “We are of the view that Nielsen’s services will maintain must-have status for most TV-centric large brand
advertisers, especially as the metrics they provide have the capacity to be integrated across platforms on a relatively consistent basis.”
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He adds that the company conveys that
“its portfolio of services provides a hedge, of sorts, against declines in the importance of television to large advertisers.”
Midday trading of Nielsen’s stock fell 2.2% to
$41.75.