EARNINGS AND TRADING: STV pins hopes on World Cup as ad revenue slumps
The following is a round-up of earnings and trading updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:
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Fintel PLC - Huddersfield, England-based software provider to UK retail financial services sector - Pretax profit rises to £9.8 million in 2025 from £7.7 million the year prior. Earnings per share grow 7.0% to 6.1p from 5.7p. Revenue climbs 9.6% to £85.9 million from £78.3 million. Software as a service & Subscription revenue increases 9.6% to £48.7 million from £44.4 million, ‘building on our quality recurring revenue streams which now represent 57% of revenues.’ Declares a final dividend of 2.5 pence per share, resulting in a full year dividend of 3.8p per share, up 4.1% from 3.65p on-year. Reports a strong start to 2026, with trading in line with expectations. ‘The group enters the year with strong momentum, supported by its high level of recurring revenue, simplified operating structure and clear strategic focus.’
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STV Group PLC - Glasgow-based broadcaster - Swings to pretax loss from continuing operations of £5.9 million in 2025 from £10.4 million profit the year prior, as revenue drops 5.9% to £176.9 million from £188.0 million. Advertising revenue slumps 10% to £89.3 million, Studios revenue of £83.0 million is down 1%, which STV calls a ‘resilient performance’. Adjusted operating profit declines 44% to £11.6 million from £20.6 million with a margin of 6.6%, down from 11.0%. No dividend is declared against 11.3p per share a year ago. Believes ‘that it is prudent not to declare a dividend in respect of 2025, to preserve financial flexibility and liquidity as the business stabilises.’ ‘We remain focused on improving financial performance in 2026 supported by tight cost discipline despite continued limited market visibility,’ says Chief Executive Rufus Radcliffe. STV says 2026 offers reasons for optimism, including the Men’s football World Cup, new advertiser product innovation, and major new scripted and unscripted deliveries for global streamers. STV expects first quarter 2026 advertising revenue to be down around 5%.
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Pebble Group PLC - Manchester, England-based company which provides products and services to the global promotional products industry - Pretax profit falls 15% to £6.9 million in 2025 from £8.1 million in 2024 on revenue little changed at £124.7 million, down 0.5% from £125.3 million. Basic earnings per share drop 9.9% to 3.45 pence from 3.83p. Revenue, in line with prior year, is supported by ‘disciplined management, effective cost control and new client acquisitions during a period of economic uncertainty.’ Revenue from new client contracts during 2025 totalled £6.5 million, up from £5.3 million on-year. Declares dividend of 2.0p per share for 2025, up 8.1% from 1.85p the year prior, and announces £5.0 million share buyback.
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Water Intelligence PLC - London-based provider of water infrastructure technology solutions - Provides trading update for 2025. Says adjusted pretax profit grows 9.5% to $9.2 million in 2025 from $8.4 million the year prior. Revenue increases by 8.5% to $90.4 million from $83.3 million, supported by good growth across owned US and international corporate locations. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation climbs 15% to $16.5 million from $14.3 million at a margin of 18%, up from 17%. ‘We had a solid 2025 with continued growth. We are maintaining a strong balance sheet while positioning ourselves for the future with an exciting competitive strategy centered on preventive maintenance and driven by strong market demand for Internet of Things and AI analytics to proactively minimize water loss and damage,’ says Executive Chair Patrick DeSouza.
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Virgin Wines UK PLC - Norwich, England-based online wine retailer - Swings to pretax loss of £356,000 in six months to January 2 from profit of £1.3 million the year prior. Revenue increases 1.8% on-year to £34.7 million from £34.1 million, ‘outperforming the wider online drinks market which declined by 11% during the period, demonstrating meaningful market share gains.’ Highlights strong trading over the peak Christmas period, with revenue over the seven weeks to December 26 increasing by 5% year-on-year. Trading continues to track positively with revenue for January and February up 12% year-on-year and full year revenue in line with market expectations, company adds. Further, notes customers acquired are tracking above expectations for the financial second half with January performance up 54% year-on-year and February increasing by 83% on-year. Virgin Wines says it is ‘encouraged by the momentum being generated’, and is ‘committed to supporting the continued and accelerated investment in the current growth strategy.’
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Eagle Eye Solutions Group PLC - London-based provider of software-as-a-service marketing solutions - Swings to pretax loss of £1.2 million in the six months to December from £1.6 million profit the year prior. Revenue falls 4.6% to £23.0 million from £24.1 million while company takes restructuring costs of £468,000 against nil in the year prior. Share-based payment charges also rise, as do operating expenses. Says underlying annual recurring revenue rises 29%, with new ARR in the first half of financial 2026 exceeding the entirety of the prior year new ARR. Chief Executive Tim Mason says: ‘Eagle Eye has delivered a strong first half, achieving a financial performance ahead of the board’s expectations together with considerable progress against our strategic priorities. ARR is building strongly.’ He adds: ‘We are confident in building on our momentum in the second half and into FY27, while maintaining a disciplined focus on margin progression and long-term shareholder value creation.’
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Essentra PLC - Oxford, England-based manufacturer of plastic and metal hardware components - Pretax profit slumps to £500,000 in 2025 from £5.7 million the year prior. Revenue edges down 0.1% to £302.0 million from £302.4 million, but rises 2.5% at constant currency. Basic earnings per share are 0.7 pence, down from 4.0p. Says 2025 performance is in line with market expectations. Adjusted operating profit falls 20% to £32.0 million from £40.1 million, representing operating margin of 10.6% down from 13.3% on-year. Essentra cuts the final dividend to 1.2p per share from 1.55p, making the total payout 2.0p, down on-year from 2.8p. Says trading-to-date in the new financial year provides confidence in achieving the board’s expectations for 2026. Chief Executive Scott Fawcett says: ‘2025 was a year of good strategic progress delivered against a backdrop of subdued global industrial demand. Essentra returned to modest revenue growth across all three regions, maintaining robust gross margins through a number of commercial and operational initiatives, including increased focus on pricing and footprint optimisation.’
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