Informa cuts revenue growth outlook to 3% while maintaining double-digit profit growth
Key Facts
Informa cut its forecast for underlying group revenue growth in 2026 to about 3%, while maintaining its forecast for adjusted earnings per share growth of more than 10%, according to a trading update published on 27 October. The company said the revised trajectory assumes no further contribution from Saudi Arabia to full-year revenue, after disruption prompted events to be rescheduled. The revision followed underlying revenue growth of 6.5% in the nine months ended 30 September, excluding non-recurring data contracts. Like-for-like growth was 5.4% when those contracts were included in the comparison with the corresponding period in 2025. The update puts revenue growth on a slower path than the performance recorded through September, while the company stands by its adjusted earnings per share forecast.
Live business-to-business events were the strongest driver among the main segments, with underlying revenue up 8.0% in the nine months. Informa said performance was particularly strong in the Americas, Europe and ASEAN, as well as in IMEA excluding Saudi Arabia. The company attributed the performance to strong demand for events, the strength of its brands and operational resilience. Chief Executive Stephen Carter said, "Strong underlying demand for live B2B events, together with the strength of our brands and operational resilience, enables us to deliver consistent growth and performance." He added that international reach limits the impact of local disruption. This reflects differences across the group's markets, with events continuing to grow outside Saudi Arabia despite rescheduling in the region.
In academic markets, underlying revenue growth was 4.0% over the same period, excluding non-recurring data contracts. By contrast, underlying revenue at Informa TechTarget fell 1.6% year on year. The company said enterprise technology customers prioritized investment in artificial intelligence over product marketing and sales support, weighing on its activity. The contrast between growth in academic markets and a decline at TechTarget highlights differing demand conditions across the group's businesses. Informa said TechTarget's weakness comes as technology companies redirect spending toward AI investment. The update did not provide a separate figure for this business's contribution to the group's revised growth forecast.
Informa said its event rescheduling program in IMEA enabled more than 50 brands to operate during the year, generating revenue of more than 530 million dollars. Since the first-half results announcement, about 30 brands have held events generating revenue of more than 230 million dollars. The figures show that a number of events continued despite disruption, alongside the decision to reschedule others. In Saudi Arabia, Cityscape Global was moved from its original dates of 16 to 19 November 2026 to 1 to 4 February 2027 in Riyadh. The company links its revised forecast to the assumption of no further contribution from Saudi Arabia during 2026. The rescheduling shows how disruption affected event dates, while some events move to a later format next year.
Among upcoming developments, Informa expects to complete the addition of Clarion during the first two weeks of December, with Clarion becoming a full part of the group in 2027. The company said the deal will add more than 100 B2B events brands. A trading update for the ten months is scheduled for 17 November, providing a more recent view of performance ahead of the end of the financial year. Informa set 11 March 2027 as the date for its 2026 full-year results. In the market, the stock closed at 826.4 pence on 23 October, then 833.6 pence on 26 October and 834.8 pence on 27 October. These moves came in the days around the announcement of the update, and the company statement did not attribute them to a specific cause.