NEW YORK (AFP) - The Wall Street Journal will begin publishing a weekend edition in the US market starting in September 2005, the business daily's publisher announced.
The move marks a new effort for the daily targeted at business readers and until now published Monday through Friday by Dow Jones and Co.
"The Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition represents a significant profitable growth opportunity for Dow Jones and the Journal," said Dow Jones chairman and chief executive Peter Kann.
"It will further strengthen the Journal's pre-eminent position as the leading publication for business and expand its franchise to the benefit of readers, advertisers and shareholders."
The weekend edition, to be published Saturdays, will include financial news and information through the close of Friday's global markets, and will also feature a new section called "Pursuits" covering various lifestyle and leisure topics.
"The Journal's Weekend Edition will be the complete weekend guide to business and the business of life," said Karen Elliott House, publisher of the daily.
"For our readers -- and for our advertisers as well -- it will be a destination where the power of the Journal meets the pleasure of the weekend."
The launch will modestly impact company earnings in 2005, but company officials said it would help boost results for the 2005-2007 strategic plan period.
Interestingly, the Saturday edition is not new for the daily. It was published six days a week from its founding in 1889 until 1953, when, following the ending of Saturday trading on the New York Stock Exchange, publication was cut back to five days.