Business Management - Finance/Financial

If you like gambling, forget blackjack, horses or the lottery. The debt of NewPage Corp. is the hot item these days at that grand casino known as Wall Street, as speculators wager on whether the big paper manufacturer will be able to make its bond payments and stay out of bankruptcy court.

On several days recently, the company’s bonds have been the most heavily traded debt instruments in the U.S.

The betting turned sour this week as the company’s bond prices hit their lowest level in more than two years “on concern that the junk-rated coated-paper maker owned by Cerberus Capital Management

SUSSEX, WI—Quad/Graphics Inc. reported results for its fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, 2010, which reflect the July 2, 2010, acquisition of Worldcolor. For the sake of comparisons, references to pro forma measures assume that the acquisition of Worldcolor was completed on Jan. 1, 2009.

CHICAGO—RR Donnelley reported fourth-quarter net earnings attributable to common shareholders of $27 million on net sales of $2.7 billion, compared to a net loss attributable to common shareholders of $79.5 million on net sales of $2.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Full-year 2010 sales were $7.187 billion, a 6 percent decrease from the prior year. For the fourth quarter of 2010, the company reported revenues of $1.927 billion, a 25 percent decrease from the year-ago quarter. Graphic Communications Group full-year 2010 sales were $2.681 billion, a 2 percent decline.

Top performing printers achieved over 84 percent print buyer satisfaction, average performers 74 percent to 83 percent, and low performers under 74 percent. The following group of category leaders achieved over 90 percent, with the best overall obtaining 96 percent satisfaction:

Now in its 27th year, the Printing Impressions 400 provides the industry's most comprehensive ranking of the leading printing companies in the United States and Canada. The listings include company name and headquarters location; parent company, if applicable; current and previous year’s rankings; most recent and previous year’s fiscal sales; percentage change; primary specialties; principal officer(s); as well as number of employees, manufacturing plants and total press units.

The Benedictine monks at St. Meinrad Archabbey in Southern Indiana have begun Snail's Pace, a new business venture at their Abbey Press. After closing their long-standing direct mail catalog business at the end of last year, the monks decided to convert their printing division into a "green" print operation, which would reflect the Benedictine tradition and history of care and concern for the environment.

The company will produce a variety of environmentally- and socially-responsible paper goods. With this new venture, the monks will renew their roots in the printing industry, which dates to 1867.

Transcontinental recorded consolidated revenues of $500.3 million compared to $504.4 million in the same quarter of 2009, down 0.8%, but had organic growth in revenues of 3.2%. Adjusted operating income before amortization grew 9.2%, from $82.6 million in 2009 to $90.2 million.

Jo Cornu to step down as of April 27, 2010. Group's total fourth quarter sales amounted to 735 million Euro, a decline of 3.4 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2008.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2009, the company reported revenues of $114.0 million, compared to fourth quarter 2008 revenue of $135.3 million.