Finance
UK's bloomsbury publishing shares jump on upbeat profit forecast
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026
Quick Summary
Bloomsbury shares surged ~20% on March 5, 2026 following a trading update forecasting FY 2026/27 profit materially above consensus, buoyed by two upcoming Sarah J. Maas ACOTAR novels set for October 27, 2026 and January 12, 2027.
UK's Bloomsbury shares surge as Sarah Maas books boost profit forecast
Bloomsbury Publishing's Financial Performance and Market Impact
Profit Forecast Surpasses Expectations
March 5 (Reuters) - Shares in Bloomsbury Publishing soared as much as 20% on Thursday after it forecast profit for the year to February 2027 to surpass expectations, helped by the upcoming release of two new books in author Sarah J. Maas' most popular franchise.
Diversification and Demand Drivers
Expansion into Academic Publishing and Digital Content
The publisher, which has broadened its portfolio with moves into academic publishing and digital content, expects profit to be boosted by strong demand for Maas' "romantasy" series like 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'.
Share Price Performance
Shares in the company were last 14% higher at 543 pence as of 0923 GMT, the highest level since May 2025.
Sarah J. Maas' Influence on Sales
Record-Breaking Sales Figures
Sarah J. Maas was the highest-selling author in the United States in 2024, according to data from research firm Circana, and the number one best-selling author in the UK in 2025.
Analyst Reactions
Berenberg Analyst Commentary
"This is positive news given that we were only expecting one title from the author," Berenberg analyst William Larwood said in a note.
Profit Expectations for Upcoming Years
Market Consensus for 2025-26 and 2026-27
Bloomsbury also said it expects 2025-26 profit to be in line with the market consensus of 44.3 million pounds ($59.03 million). Market expectations for 2026-27 profit stood at 44.5 million pounds.
Exchange Rate Information
($1 = 0.7505 pounds)
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Sonia Cheema)
Key Takeaways
- •Bloomsbury forecasts profit for year ending Feb 28 2027 materially above market expectations, versus FY 2025/26 expected in‑line with consensus (£44.5 m vs ~£44.3 m) (bloomsbury-ir.co.uk)
- •Announcement includes two ACOTAR books from Sarah J. Maas releasing Oct 27 2026 and Jan 12 2027, a rare double‑release within 11 weeks (bloomsbury-ir.co.uk)
- •Sarah J. Maas is a top‑selling author—a major driver of Bloomsbury’s consumer success—and prior releases have notably boosted forecasts and share movement (theguardian.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about UK's Bloomsbury Publishing shares jump on upbeat profit forecast
1Why did Bloomsbury Publishing shares rise sharply?
Shares rose nearly 20% after the company forecast its annual profit to be materially ahead of expectations.
2Which author is driving Bloomsbury Publishing's profit outlook?
Sarah J. Maas is driving the outlook with two new books in her most popular franchise.
3Who reported and edited this news about Bloomsbury Publishing?
The news was reported by Ankita Bora and edited by Mrigank Dhaniwala.