Martha Stewart Pares Loss; Publishing Still Weighs

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.’s second-quarter loss narrowed as the media-and-merchandise company’s struggling publishing unit continued to weigh on its revenue. “We anticipated much of the weakness in publishing, and it’s important to note that while our publishing strategy is gaining traction, it will take additional time to yield the targeted results,” said President and CEO Lisa Gersh.

The company said its struggling publishing division is set for a turnaround in the second half as it expects newly installed advertising-sales teams to drive improved results.

Martha Stewart Living reported a loss of $2.7 million, compared with a loss of $2.94 million