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Future plc
(LSE:FUTR)
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Rating:64Neutral
Price Target:
361.00 p
▲(16.83% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:06/13/26
The score is driven primarily by mixed financial performance (declining revenue, margin pressure, and weaker free cash flow offset by improved leverage). Technicals materially detract due to a clear downtrend and negative momentum. Valuation is the main support, with a low P/E and high dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Lower Leverage
Reduced leverage strengthens Future’s financial resilience and lowers balance-sheet risk. A healthier equity position should provide greater flexibility to invest in content, digital products and audience development over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Revenue Contraction
Falling revenue signals weaker demand or monetisation across Future’s advertising, ecommerce and subscription activities. Sustained contraction could reduce scale benefits and make it harder to support investment in brands, traffic and digital products.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Lower Leverage
Reduced leverage strengthens Future’s financial resilience and lowers balance-sheet risk. A healthier equity position should provide greater flexibility to invest in content, digital products and audience development over the medium term.
Read all positive factors
Future plc (FUTR) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£253.63M
Dividend Yield5.97%
Average Volume (3M)359.86K
Price to Earnings (P/E)7.9
Beta (1Y)0.16
Revenue Growth-8.41%
EPS Growth-51.11%
CountryUK
Employees2,991
SectorCommunication Services
Sector Strength97
IndustryPublishing
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.36
Shares Outstanding89,297,966
10 Day Avg. Volume348,748
30 Day Avg. Volume359,862
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-1.74
Price to Book (P/B)0.67
Price to Sales (P/S)0.94
P/FCF Ratio6.08
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£740.00Price Target Upside139.48% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering1
EPS Forecast (FY)1.02
Revenue Forecast (FY)£705.69M
Future plc Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Future plc, along with its associated companies, specializes in creating and disseminating content across a wide array of interests, including technology, gaming, television, entertainment, women's lifestyle, real-life topics, music, creative arts...
How the Company Makes Money
Future primarily makes money through a mix of digital advertising, ecommerce/affiliate revenue, and subscriptions.
1) Digital advertising: Future sells advertising across its network of websites and digital publications. Revenue is generated via ...
Future plc Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Dec 04, 2025
(Q4-2025)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Dec 03, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call presented a balanced view with stable financial performance despite revenue declines, strong cash generation, and strategic initiatives showing promise. However, challenges remain in audience engagement and specific market segments.Positive Updates
Stable Financial Performance Amid Challenges
Revenue at GBP 739 million, down 6% year-on-year, with organic performance down 3%. Adjusted operating profit at GBP 205 million with a margin of 28%, flat year-on-year, demonstrating cost discipline.
Negative Updates
Decline in Audience Sessions
Audience sessions down 10% year-on-year, affecting programmatic revenues, though partially offset by direct advertising growth.
Read all updates
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive
Negative
Stable Financial Performance Amid Challenges
Revenue at GBP 739 million, down 6% year-on-year, with organic performance down 3%. Adjusted operating profit at GBP 205 million with a margin of 28%, flat year-on-year, demonstrating cost discipline.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
During the call, the company provided guidance for the fiscal year 2025, emphasizing several key metrics and strategic initiatives aimed at driving growth and maintaining financial stability. Revenue was reported at GBP 739 million, reflecting a 6% decrease year-on-year, with an organic performance decline of 3%. The adjusted operating profit stood at GBP 205 million, maintaining a margin of 28%, and adjusted EPS experienced a slight decline of 1%. Cash flows remained robust, converting at 86% of adjusted operating profit, and the balance sheet showed a strong leverage ratio of 1.3x after returning approximately GBP 100 million to shareholders. The company announced a significant fivefold increase in its ordinary dividend and launched its fifth share buyback program. Looking ahead, the company expects modest revenue growth in fiscal year 2026, with a focus on leveraging AI as a revenue opportunity and enhancing direct audience relationships to sustain future monetization. They anticipate maintaining an EBITDA margin of 30% and strong cash conversion around 95%, driven by strategic initiatives such as the AI-powered Future Optic and the launching of Renewal to boost retention and improve the consumer funnel.Future plc Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
65
Positive
Balance Sheet
70
Positive
Cash Flow
60
Neutral
| Breakdown | TTM | Sep 2025 | Sep 2024 | Sep 2023 | Sep 2022 | Sep 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 709.90M | 739.20M | 788.20M | 788.90M | 825.40M | 606.80M |
| Gross Profit | 228.80M | 257.70M | 354.40M | 380.50M | 354.30M | 266.60M |
| EBITDA | 166.40M | 189.50M | 214.70M | 253.90M | 269.10M | 200.10M |
| Net Income | 36.50M | 66.30M | 76.80M | 113.40M | 122.20M | 66.10M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 1.68B | 1.63B | 1.71B | 1.88B | 1.96B | 1.63B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 44.60M | 27.60M | 39.70M | 60.30M | 29.20M | 324.30M |
| Total Debt | 391.70M | 337.30M | 334.40M | 432.30M | 520.70M | 549.50M |
| Total Liabilities | 674.10M | 594.30M | 646.30M | 766.60M | 897.40M | 768.80M |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.01B | 1.04B | 1.06B | 1.11B | 1.06B | 862.30M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 108.10M | 114.00M | 155.90M | 171.50M | 191.00M | 154.60M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 112.00M | 117.30M | 169.80M | 182.80M | 202.60M | 165.70M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -59.30M | -19.60M | -21.80M | -58.80M | -116.70M | -180.40M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -65.10M | -109.00M | -166.90M | -86.90M | -389.00M | 321.50M |
Future plc Technical Analysis
Negative
309.00
Price Trends
308.00
Negative
311.42
Negative
387.92
Negative
Market Momentum
-5.92
Positive
34.21
Neutral
5.19
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:FUTR, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 309 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 307.87, above the 50-day MA of 308.00, and below the 200-day MA of 387.92, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -5.92 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 34.21 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 5.19 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for GB:FUTR.
Future plc Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
79 Outperform | £503.29M | 18.48 | 12.74% | 2.66% | -9.72% | 6.73% | |
64 Neutral | £253.63M | 7.91 | 3.57% | 5.97% | -8.41% | -51.11% | |
61 Neutral | £2.60B | 11.42 | 13.15% | 7.14% | 1.58% | 27.05% | |
60 Neutral | $48.67B | 4.58 | -11.27% | 4.14% | 2.83% | -41.78% | |
50 Neutral | £131.29M | -0.72 | -36.14% | 14.53% | -6.48% | -458.95% | |
48 Neutral | £48.83M | -1.81 | 143.01% | 6.98% | -18.44% | -608.87% |
* Communication Services Sector Average
GB:FUTR
Future plc
284.80
-416.98
-59.42%
GB:BMY
Bloomsbury Publishing
610.00
118.60
24.13%
GB:ITV
ITV plc
70.00
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-8.19%
GB:STVG
STV Group plc
103.00
-14.00
-11.97%
GB:RCH
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40.60
-18.60
-31.42%
Future plc Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc advances £21m share buyback, shrinks share base
Positive
Aug 17, 2026
Future plc has continued executing its share buyback programme, repurchasing 151,996 ordinary shares between 10 and 14 August 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of 328.9513 pence. The company has now acquired a total of 5,836,75...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc Buys Back Further 152,000 Shares in Ongoing Capital Return
Positive
Aug 17, 2026
Future plc has continued its share buyback activity, repurchasing 151,996 ordinary shares between 10 and 14 August 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of about 328.95 pence. The move brings total buybacks under the current progra...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc Continues Share Buyback, Lifts Total Repurchases to £20.6m
Positive
Aug 10, 2026
Future plc has continued to execute its share buyback programme, repurchasing 157,702 ordinary shares during the week of 3–7 August 2026 at an average price of 317.05 pence via the London Stock Exchange. Including these latest trades, the co...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Future plc Confirms Total Voting Rights and Share Capital
Neutral
Aug 3, 2026
Future plc has confirmed that as of the close of business on 31 July 2026, its issued share capital comprised 90,062,611 ordinary shares of 15 pence each, with no shares held in treasury. Each ordinary share carries one vote, resulting in a total ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc advances £20m share buyback, shrinks share base
Positive
Aug 3, 2026
Future plc has continued its share buyback programme, purchasing 159,530 ordinary shares in the week of 27–31 July 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of 313.4182 pence, with prices ranging between about 300p and 331p. The ...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Future plc Adds Veteran Auditor Randal Casson to Board in Governance Push
Positive
Aug 3, 2026
Future plc has strengthened its governance with the appointment of Randal Casson as an Independent Non-Executive Director, effective immediately, as part of a broader refresh of its Board. Casson, a former PwC audit partner with extensive listed c...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Future plc names new joint advisers ahead of trading update
Positive
Jul 31, 2026
Future plc has strengthened its capital markets support by appointing Investec Bank plc and Peel Hunt LLP as joint financial advisers and corporate brokers with immediate effect. The move underscores the media group’s intent to deepen invest...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc Lifts Total Buybacks to £19.6 Million, Tightening Share Capital
Positive
Jul 27, 2026
Future plc continued its share buyback programme in the week of 20–24 July 2026, repurchasing 164,772 ordinary shares at an average price of about 299.66 pence via the London Stock Exchange. This latest tranche lifts total buybacks to 5,367,...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Future plc adds senior marketing and media leaders to its board
Positive
Jul 21, 2026
Future plc has strengthened its board with the appointment of Patricia Corsi and Anna Mallett as Independent Non-Executive Directors, effective immediately. Both will also join the Nomination Committee, adding senior expertise in global brand-buil...
Stock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
Future plc Advances Share Buyback, Repurchases 157,889 Shares
Positive
Jul 20, 2026
Future plc has continued executing its share buyback programme, purchasing 157,889 ordinary shares between 13 and 17 July 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of 311.3960 pence, within a range of 302.40 pence to 317.80 pence. Incl...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc Advances Share Buyback, Reducing Share Count and Boosting Capital Efficiency
Positive
Jul 13, 2026
Future plc has continued executing its share buyback programme, purchasing 171,036 ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange between 6 and 10 July 2026 at an average price of about 292 pence. The company has now bought back a total of 5,044,870...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc Reduces Share Count with Ongoing Buyback Programme
Positive
Jul 6, 2026
Future plc has continued its share buyback programme, purchasing 165,130 ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange between 29 June and 3 July 2026 at prices ranging from 293p to 309.2p, with an average price of 302.5764p. Including these latest...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Future plc Updates Market on Total Voting Rights After Share Buybacks
Neutral
Jul 2, 2026
Future plc reported that as of the close of business on 30 June 2026 its issued share capital comprised 90,815,446 ordinary shares of 15 pence each, with every share conferring one voting right and no shares held in treasury. This updated figure i...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc lifts total buybacks to £17.6m as share count falls below 91m
Positive
Jun 29, 2026
Future plc has continued its share buyback programme, repurchasing 171,257 ordinary shares between 22 and 26 June 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of about 290.9 pence. The latest transactions bring total buybacks to 4,708,704...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc steps up buybacks with latest £17m share repurchase
Positive
Jun 22, 2026
Future plc has continued its share buyback programme, repurchasing 165,452 ordinary shares between 15 and 19 June 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of about 298.8 pence, with prices ranging from 291 to 309.8 pence. Including th...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc expands buyback with June share repurchases
Positive
Jun 15, 2026
Future plc continued its share buyback activity, repurchasing 162,118 ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange between 8 and 12 June 2026 at an average price of 306.1411 pence, with prices ranging from 297.4p to 316.2p. Cumulatively, the compa...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc advances capital return with latest tranche of share buybacks
Positive
Jun 8, 2026
Future plc has continued its share buyback programme, purchasing 157,277 ordinary shares between 1 and 5 June 2026 via the London Stock Exchange at an average price of 316.34 pence. This latest tranche forms part of a wider initiative under which ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Future plc updates market on total voting rights and share capital
Neutral
Jun 1, 2026
Future plc has confirmed that as of 31 May 2026 its issued share capital comprised 91,537,072 ordinary shares of 15 pence each, with no shares held in treasury and each share carrying one vote. The company stated that this total, which represents ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc Advances Share Buyback, Reducing Share Count
Positive
Jun 1, 2026
Future plc has continued its share buyback programme, repurchasing 280,863 ordinary shares during the week of 26–29 May 2026 at prices ranging between 320.2p and 336.2p, with an average price of 329.47p. The company has now bought back a tot...
Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Future plc Employee Trust Buys Additional Shares for Staff Incentives
Positive
May 29, 2026
Future plc has disclosed that its Employee Benefit Trust has acquired 633,000 ordinary shares, bringing the trust’s total holding to 1,720,159 shares, or 1.88% of the company’s voting rights. The discretionary trust is designed to bene...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc Continues Buyback, Lifts Total Repurchases to £14.7m
Positive
May 26, 2026
Future plc has executed a further tranche of its share buyback programme, repurchasing 318,610 ordinary shares during the week of 18–22 May 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of about 311.9 pence. The company has now bough...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Future plc tightens share base with latest £13.7m buyback
Positive
May 18, 2026
Future plc has continued its ongoing share buyback programme, repurchasing 319,282 ordinary shares between 11 and 15 May 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at an average price of about 308.7 pence, with prices ranging from 281.4 pence to 326.8 penc...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.