Finance
Sorrell's S4 lifts 2025 profit forecast, prompting near 42% share price jump
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 26, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 26, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
S4 Capital's 2025 revenue and profit exceed market expectations, showcasing strong financial performance under Martin Sorrell's leadership.
(Corrects headline to 'near 42%', not 32%)
Jan 26 (Reuters) - Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital said on Monday its 2025 profit and revenue would be ahead of its previously lowered forecast, sending the advertising group's shares nearly 42% higher.
S4 now expects its 2025 net revenue and operational core profit to exceed analysts' estimates of 664 million pounds ($907 million) and 75 million pounds, respectively.
The advertising market has been grappling with reduced client spending as they prioritise investments in areas such as artificial intelligence amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty, weighed on agencies across the sector.
S4, which has cut costs and streamlined operations to offset these pressures, also said its net debt would be below consensus forecasts and its previously guided range of 100 million-140 million pounds after improved working capital management.
Shares in S4, which fell nearly 38% in 2025, were on track for their best day's performance since May 2018.
'MUCH MORE TO BE DONE'
Although the results signalled stabilization, S4 said clients remain cautious on budgets while turning to new technologies including AI, blockchain and quantum computing.
"There is still much more to be done around net revenue and margin growth in 2026 and beyond," Sorrell said in a statement.
S4, which relies heavily on technology-focused companies for its income, said continued market softness is still expected to drive like-for-like net revenue about 8.5% lower.
Despite signalling in November it may consider an enhanced final dividend, S4 said it will recommend a 1 pence per share payout on Monday, the same as the year before.
$1 = 0.7320 pounds)
(Reporting by Raechel Thankam Job and Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Janane Venkatraman and Alexander Smith)
Revenue is the total income generated from the sale of goods or services before any expenses are deducted. It is a key indicator of a company's financial performance.
Operational profit, also known as operating income, is the profit a company makes from its core business operations, excluding any income derived from non-operational activities.
Financial performance is a measure of how well a company uses its assets to generate revenue and profit, often evaluated through financial statements and ratios.
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