Newspapers Report Gains

Newspapers report digital-print circulation gains: New York—The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and newspapers overall reported increases in total print-plus-digital circulation, with gains influenced by a new Audit Bureau of Circulations reporting standard that combines free or reduced-cost digital subscriptions with paid print subscriptions.

Another Step in Post Hawkesbury Mill Process

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/81891--tentative-energy-deal-reached-for-idled-paper-mill-in-cape-breton

The Vancouver-based company planning to buy the idle NewPage Port Hawkesbury paper mill in Cape Breton has reached a tentative energy agreement with the province's electric utility company, a key step in its bid to get the mill operating again.

Pacific West Commercial Corp. announced late Friday it had submitted the seven-year agreement for approval to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

Q1 Chinese Pulp & RCP Imports Up

China's total pulp imports went up 27.3% in March compared to the same month last year, according to data from China Custom. For the first quarter, pulp imports rose 15.4%. BSK imports increased 29% for the month and 17% for the quarter.

Chinese recovered paper imports were up 12.7% in March compared to the same month in 2011 and 10.1% in Q1 2012/Q1 2011.

Mercer Withdraws Fibrek Offer

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/mercer-abandons-battle-for-fibrek/article2417768/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2417768

Fibrek Inc. confirmed today that Mercer International Inc. has announced that it has unilaterally terminated its support agreement with Fibrek with respect to its offer to acquire all of the common shares of Fibrek.

U.S. Ad Spending Forecast Up 4.1%

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20120430/ADVERTISING14/304309993/warc-says-u-s-ad-spending-to-increase-4-1-this-year Warc says U.S. ad spending to increase 4.1% this year

U.S. ad spending will increase 4.1% this year over last year, according to marketing intelligence company Warc.

Next year, U.S. ad spending will slow to 3.3% growth, “when there will be no quadrennial boost from the presidential elections and the Olympics,” Warc said in a statement.

First CMR Released by Magazine

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20120430/MEDIABUSINESS16/304309988/the-economist-is-first-weekly-to-release-consolidated-media-report

The Economist is the first weekly magazine to release a Consolidated Media Report from the Audit Bureau of Circulations. The CMR is designed to verify a media brand's reach on separate platforms.

House & Senate Postal Bills Differ

Postal Service Bill Faces Roadblocks: It’s looking increasingly unlikely that the House and Senate will agree on a plan to save the Postal Service by May 15, when a moratorium on closing postal processing plants expires.

Q1 European Coated Demand Down, SC Up

http://euro-graph.antidot.be/who_we_are-7283.html

EURO-GRAPH has reported that European demand for coated mechanical paper in the first quarter fell -4.6% s compared to the same period last year. Exports jumped 14.6%. Coated woodfree demand declined -3.1% for Q1 and exports decreased -8.1%. Supercalendered paper demand rose 8.4%. SC exports fell -11%.

IP Reports Q1 Results

http://www.paperage.com/2012news/04_27_2012international_paper_earnings.html

International Paper today reported first-quarter 2012 net earnings attributable to common shareholders totaling $188 million compared with net earnings of $281 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 and $354 million ($0.81 per share) in the first quarter of 2011.

Katahdin's Millinocket to be Industrial Park

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/approved/0001/11/30/cate-street-plans-industrial-park-millinocket-pape/1186902

Cate Street Capital, buyer of the two Katahdin region paper mills in September announced plans Wednesday to turn the Millinocket site into an industrial park.

Catalyst Paper Delays Meeting with Creditors

Catalyst Paper adjusts date for meeting of its creditors:
Catalyst Paper has announced that the date for the meetings of its secured and unsecured creditors to consider the plan of arrangement under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act has been changed from May 2, 2012 to May 15, 2012.

min Tracked Ad Pages Down 5.8%

http://www.minonline.com/news/20371.html

Of the 150 mags we track at min, 62 showed gains in May (27 of which were up by double-digit percentages) and 88 plummeted.  Cumulative 2012-versus-2011 differentials were -5.90% (May) and -5.81% (year-to-date).

 

Hearst Launches Cosmopolitan for Latinas

http://www.pubexec.com/article/hearst-magazines-introduces-cosmopolitan-latinas/1

Hearst Magazines, one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, today announced that the first stand-alone issue of Cosmopolitan for Latinas, a new women's lifestyle publication targeted at English-speaking Latinas, will hit newsstands nationwide on May 1.

GDP Grows 2.2% in Q1

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304811304577369640809969900.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2012.

Valassis Announces Q1 Results

Valassis Announces Q1 Results: Revenues Decreased by 5.2%: Valassis today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012. First-quarter 2012 revenues were $518.6 million, a decrease of 5.2% from $547.0 million in the prior year quarter.

UPM Q1 Sales Up 10%

http://www.upm.com/EN/MEDIA/All-news/Pages/default.aspx

Sales for Q1 2012 were EUR 2,591 million, 10% higher than the EUR 2,356 million in Q1 2011. Sales increased due to the Myllykoski acquisition in Paper in August 2011, as well as higher delivery volumes in other UPM businesses.

Second Uncoated Mill Announces Increase

Leading North American uncoated freesheet paper producer Domtar informed customers it will raise prices on all white business papers by $2/cwt ($40/ton) effective May 29.

Domtar Reports Q1 Net Earnings

Domtar reports net earnings of $28 million in first quarter, 2012:
Domtar Corp. is reporting net earnings of $28 million in their first quarter of 2012, compared to net earnings of $61 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Sales for the first quarter of 2012 amounted to $1.4 billion.

Graphic Packaging Reports Q1 Earnings

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=103159&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1687718&highlight=
Graphic Packaging Holding Company,  a leading provider of packaging solutions to food, beverage and other consumer products companies, today reported Net Income for first quarter 2012 of $17.2 million. This compares to first quarter 2011 Net Income of $26.7 million.

Senate Passes Postal Reform Bill

U.S. Senate passes Postal Service reform bill: The U.S. Senate Wednesday passed a bill intended to relieve financial pressures on the U.S. Postal Service while retaining as many services as possible. The House of Representatives is considering its own version of the bill.