Nielsen 'Watch' Arm Leads Revenue Rise

Nielsen has reported a 3% rise in second quarter revenue to $1.38 billion, driven by a 2% increase in its Buy retail measurement division and 5% in its Watch media analytics arm.

During the period - which ended June 30th - Nielsen said growth in its Information Services division was driven by increased client investment in retail measurement in all regions around the world, with the exception of Europe.

For the group as a whole, adjusted EBITDA increased 6% to $396m compared with the second quarter of 2012. Net income quadrupled to $426m, courtesy of a $303m gain associated with the sale of the Expositions business in June. Q2 adjusted net income rose 25% to $187m.

CEO David Calhoun (pictured) described the second quarter results as 'solid' adding: 'With our continued focus on providing clients with innovative solutions, expansion into new geographies and our successful portfolio transformation, we are well positioned to execute our growth strategy and deliver greater value to shareholders over time.'

For the first half of the year, Nielsen saw revenue rise to $2.70 billion from $2.61 billion in H1 2012.

Separately, Nielsen's Board has approved a new share repurchase program for up to $500m of the company's outstanding common stock, in a bid to 'mitigate dilution' relating to its equity compensation plans. The firm recently issued an offering of 40.3 million shares of new common stock which raised more than a billion dollars for its 'sponsor' shareholders.

Web site: www.nielsen.com .