Next Fifteen Communications Group plc, the digital communications group, today announces its preliminary results for the year ended 31 January 2018.

Highlights

• Revenues increased by 15%, with Group organic[1] revenue growth of 5.2%
• Adjusted operating profit margin improved to 15.3% from 14.6%
• Adjusted profit before tax up 21% to £29.3m
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased by 19% to 27.8p
• 20% increase in dividend per share to 6.3p
• Significant clients wins including Samsung, Slack and Nike
• Velocity, a B2B content marketing agency, and Circle, a B2B market research consultancy, acquired in July 2017
• Elvis, an integrated digital agency, and Charterhouse, a market research agency, acquired in September 2017

Commenting on the results, Chairman of Next 15, Richard Eyre said:

“Next 15 continues to develop its services against our template of Creativity, Data and Technology, ensuring the Group’s capability to develop with the extra-ordinary pace of technology in our sector. This has driven another good year, with revenues and earnings again reaching record levels. Revenue was 15% up to £196.8m (£171.0m) while adjusted profit before tax rose by 21% to £29.3m. Fully diluted adjusted earnings per share rose to 27.8p.

These results were influenced by three major factors: strong organic growth in the second half of the year and additional well-executed acquisitions, offset by some negative impact from the relative strength of Sterling. Organic growth that had been modest amid the political and economic uncertainty of the first half of the year, grew to more familiar levels in the second, with many of the Group’s businesses turning in strong performances.

This high single-digit organic revenue growth has continued into the new financial year, augmented by strong performances from newly acquired agencies, giving us confidence for another good year ahead.”

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[1] Organic

Organic revenue growth is defined as the revenue growth at constant currency excluding the impact of acquisitions.