NEW YORK (AP) -- Nielsen Holdings N.V. said Wednesday its net income rose 51 percent as lower costs offset nearly flat revenue.
The company makes its money by selling data about what people are buying in stores and watching on television. It is known for its weekly rankings of TV's most watched shows, a breakdown that helps determine the advertising prices charged by broadcasters and cable channels.
In the April to June quarter, revenue from the company's "Buy" segment that monitors shopping fell 3 percent, while revenue from its "Watch" segment that monitors TV shows rose 2 percent.
Net income rose to $104 million, or 28 cents per share, driven by cost cuts, the company said. That compares with $69 million, or 19 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding some interest expenses, restructuring charges and one-time costs, net income was 42 cents per share. Analysts expected 41 cents per share, according to FactSet.
Revenue fell less than 1 percent to $1.39 billion from $1.4 billion. Analysts expected $1.41 billion.
Selling, general and administrative expenses; the company's costs for providing its services; restructuring charges and other expenses were all lower during the quarter.
Nielsen, which went public in January 2011, has headquarters in New York and Diemen, Netherlands.
Shares rose $1.49, or 6 percent, to $26.52 during morning trading. The stock had been down about 16 percent this year.
