Informa lifts FY guidance as H1 growth strengthens

(Sharecast News) - Publishing and exhibitions group Informa posted a solid first‑half performance on Thursday, delivering broad‑based underlying growth and reaffirming its full‑year guidance, with strong momentum across business-to-business live events and academic markets. Group underlying revenues rose 6.8%, while underlying operating profits increased 6.9%, with reported revenues edging up to £2.06bn and adjusted operating profist coming in at £548.3m, reflecting biennial phasing and event rescheduling in conflict‑affected India, Middle East, and Africa markets. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were 26.6p.

Informa's statutory performance also improved sharply, with operating profits rising to £323.3m and diluted EPS to 10.4p.

The FTSE 100-listed firm stated its B2B live events unit delivered 8.0% underlying revenue growth, led by Informa markets, but highlighted that strength was broad‑based across regions and categories - including finance, healthcare, pharma and food.

Academic markets continued to grow, with 5.4% underlying revenue growth, excluding non‑recurring data contracts, supported by demand for peer‑reviewed research, specialist data and advanced learning.

As a result, shareholder returns increased, with Informa lifting its interim dividend by 6.9% to 7.48p and expanding its FY26 buyback programme to £350m, taking total repurchases since 2022 to around £2.2bn.

Informa said momentum had carried into H2, with visibility also building for FY27, and reaffirmed full‑year guidance for more than 6% underlying revenue growth and double‑digit underlying EPS growth. It also said revenue visibility remained high, with around $4.5bn already committed or contracted for FY26 - roughly 80% of the firm's targeted full‑year revenue.

As of 0855 BST, Informa shares were up 1.19% at 915.80p.





Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

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