Rupert Murdoch at 90: could he reunify his empire?
Nonagenarian media mogul Rupert Murdoch could try to reverse the 2013 decision to split his media empire in two and re-merge Fox and News Corp.
Rupert Murdoch (pictured) has joined the “tiny ranks of nonagenarians running global empires”, says Mark Sweeney in The Guardian. But he“shows no sign of slowing down”.
As executive chairman of News Corp, home to papers including The Wall Street Journal and The Times, as well as co-chairman of Fox Corporation, broadcaster of Fox News and NFL games, Murdoch “remains firmly in control”.
Still, with Fox having to grapple with much larger competitors, such as Disney and AT&T, many experts think that he might try to reverse the 2013 decision to split his empire in two and re-merge Fox and News Corp. Something must be done, since investors seem to have lost confidence in both Fox and News Corp, says The Economist.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The former is trading at a 30% discount to rivals ViacomCBS and Discovery, while the latter is valued at “less than the sum of its eclectic parts”. Fox has been hit by the rise of streaming, losing nearly 8% of its subscribers last year, while News Corp has suffered from the shift to online advertising.
Uniting News Corp with Fox may well be Murdoch’s “one last big deal”, says John McDuling in the Sydney Morning Herald. But Murdoch, a big horse-racing fan in his youth, would do better to think about a “punt on the betting industry itself”.
His interest has been “piqued” by the current battle for Tabcorp, Australia’s largest listed betting company. Under the stewardship of Murdoch’s son Lachlan, Fox has already been investing heavily in the industry.
Sign up to Money Morning
Our team, led by award winning editors, is dedicated to delivering you the top news, analysis, and guides to help you manage your money, grow your investments and build wealth.
Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.
He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.
Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.
As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.
Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri
-
The top areas for buy-to-let rental yields
Rental growth is slowing and regulations are rising but landlords can still earn a decent return from property investing.
By Marc Shoffman Published
-
Review: Cobblers Cove, Barbados – your hotel home in the Caribbean
MoneyWeek Travel Cobblers Cove is a beautiful, family-run retreat on the island of Barbados
By Chris Carter Published
-
What’s the outlook for the shipping industry in 2025?
All we know for certain about the year ahead is that it will be volatile. But the container shipping sector thrives on choppy waters
By Rupert Hargreaves Published
-
What investors can expect from stocks and the economy in 2025
There are reasons for investors to be hopeful about 2025, with slowing interest rates and moderating oil prices. But trouble may be brewing in bond markets
By Alex Rankine Published
-
Why Wise could be worth a lot more than its share price implies
Foreign-exchange transfer service Wise has the potential to become the Amazon of its sector – here's why you should consider buying this stock now
By Jamie Ward Published
-
Can The Gym Group pump up your portfolio?
Gym Group was one of the best UK small-cap stocks in 2024 and will beef up your profits this New Year
By Rupert Hargreaves Published
-
MoneyWeek's five predictions for investors in 2025
MoneyWeek's City columnist gazes into his crystal ball and sees five unexpected events in store for investors in 2025
By Matthew Lynn Published
-
How buy-and-build stocks deliver strong returns
Bunzl, DCC and Diploma became successful through buy-and-build – rolling up dozens of unglamorous businesses. How does it work and what makes it successful?
By Jamie Ward Published
-
Singapore Technologies Engineering shows strong growth
Singapore Technologies Engineering offers diversification, improving profitability and income
By Dr Mike Tubbs Published
-
South Korean won hits 15-year low – what it means for 'Korea discount'
After Yoon Suk Yeol's failure to declare martial law, South Korean markets are reeling, with the weakest won since 2009. Will this worsen the Korea discount?
By Alex Rankine Published