Trading Update

Informa PLC

10 January 2024

 

Informa LEI: 5493006VM2LKUPSEDU20

Informa PLC Full Year Trading Update

10 January 2024

Strong 2023 performance, further growth in 2024

Continuing organic and inorganic opportunities provide strong outlook for the year ahead

Informa (LSE: INF.L), the international B2B Events, B2B Digital Services and Academic Markets Group today issued a trading update, confirming a strong performance in 2023 and confidence of further growth in 2024, whilst separately announcing the combination of Informa Tech's digital businesses with US-based TechTarget to create a leading platform in B2B Digital Services.

Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive, said: "Informa delivered a standout performance in 2023 and we are committing to further strong growth in 2024."

Key Highlights

·      2023 performance…Informa expects (subject to audit) to report 2023 Underlying Revenue Growth of c.30%, Reported Revenue of £3,165m+, Adjusted Operating Profit of c.£845m and Free Cash Flow of £600m+;

·      Growth drivers for 2024...

·      Structural growth…Live & On-Demand B2B Events and Specialist Knowledge

·      International reach…Strength in the US and rapidly expanding economies in the Middle East, China and Asia

·      High growth B2B markets…eg Pharma, Healthcare, Technology, Health & Nutrition, Beauty and Aviation

·      Revenue visibility…£1bn+ in subscriptions and other recurring booked revenues

·      Disciplined Balance Sheet…c.1.4x leverage at end 2023

·      2024 Market guidance...2024 guidance targets high single digit Underlying Revenue Growth, with Reported Revenue of £3,425m-£3,475m and Adjusted Operating Profit of £945m-£965m (excluding any effect of the proposed combination with TechTarget; GBP/USD 1.25);

·      Growing Shareholder Returns…The strong operating performance delivers improving shareholder returns, with £1.06bn of the £1.15bn current Share Buyback Programme completed by year-end and a 2023 dividend confirmed at 18p, +80% year-on-year;

·      The Power of B2B…Major Live & On-Demand brands, rich specialist B2B content and additional Digital Services, are delivering volume and value growth across Informa Markets, Informa Connect and Informa Tech, leading to c.40% aggregate underlying revenue growth in 2023 and a target of high single digit growth in 2024 (excluding any effect of the proposed combination with TechTarget);

·      Acceleration in B2B Digital Services…Today we have announced the combination of Informa Tech's digital businesses with US-based TechTarget, creating a leading platform in B2B Digital Services, underpinned by IIRIS, Informa's first party data platform, complementing the Group's leadership position in Live and On-Demand B2B Events. Post completion in H2 2024, this combination will take annual B2B revenues to c.£3bn;

·      Academic Strength…Acceleration in Open Research volumes and other Pay-to-Publish Services, combined with underlying strength in Pay-to-Read Subscriptions underpins our 2024 underlying revenue growth target of c.4%, following a c.3% growth performance in 2023.    

New Informa Group PLC: Focus, Scale and Growth

The strong performance of our businesses over recent years, combined with the benefit of inorganic investments, including today's proposed combination with TechTarget, strengthens Informa's operating model:

Investor Presentation

Informa PLC

Informa will host an investor presentation at 11am UK time on 11 January 2024, focusing on its strong trading performance in 2023, the outlook for 2024, and today's announcement on TechTarget. This will be held in person at its offices at 240 Blackfriars, London, SE1 and webcast live via www.informa.com, hosted by Group Chief Executive, Stephen A. Carter, and Group Finance Director, Gareth Wright. They will be joined by the Informa Tech CEO, Gary Nugent and TechTarget Chief Executive, Michael Cotoia.

The live webcast can be accessed via www.informa.com or via https://brrmedia.news/INF_CU24.

For those participants that would like to ask questions, the dial in is as follows:

Password if prompted: Informa Update

UK: 0808 109 0700 or [phone]

Enquiries
Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive	[phone]
Gareth Wright, Group Finance Director	[phone]
Richard Menzies-Gow, Director of IR & Communications	[phone]
Tim Burt / Simon Duke - Teneo	[phone] / [phone]

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction (the "proposed transaction") between Informa and TechTarget, TechTarget CombineCo, Inc. ("NewCo" or, after the completion of the proposed transaction, "New TechTarget") and TechTarget will prepare and file relevant materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including a registration statement on Form S-4 that will contain a proxy statement of TechTarget that also constitutes a prospectus of NewCo (the "Proxy Statement/Prospectus"). A definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be mailed to stockholders of TechTarget. TechTarget and NewCo may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This communication is not a substitute for any proxy statement, registration statement or prospectus, or any other document that TechTarget or NewCo (as applicable) may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF TECHTARGET ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED BY TECHTARGET OR NEWCO WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. TechTarget investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus (when they become available), as well as other filings containing important information about TechTarget, NewCo, and other parties to the proposed transaction (including Informa), without charge through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by TechTarget will be available free of charge under the tab "Financials" on the "Investor Relations" page of TechTarget's internet website at www.TechTarget.com or by contacting TechTarget's Investor Relations Department at [e-mail]. 

Participants in the Solicitation

Informa, TechTarget, NewCo, and their respective directors and certain of their respective executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from TechTarget's stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the directors of Informa is contained in Informa's annual reports and accounts available on Informa's website at www.informa.com/investors/ and in the National Storage Mechanism at data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of TechTarget is contained in TechTarget's proxy statement for its 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 19, 2023, and in other documents subsequently filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC (when they become available). These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than historical facts, are forward-looking statements, including: statements regarding the expected timing and structure of the proposed transaction; the ability of the parties to complete the proposed transaction considering the various closing conditions; the expected benefits of the proposed transaction, such as improved operations, enhanced revenues and cash flow, synergies, growth potential, market profile, business plans, expanded portfolio and financial strength; the competitive ability and position of NewCo following completion of the proposed transaction; legal, economic, and regulatory conditions; and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements concern future circumstances and results and other statements that are not historical facts and are sometimes identified by the words "may," "will," "should,"  "potential," "intend," "expect," "endeavor," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "overestimate," "underestimate," "believe," "plan," "could," "would," "project," "predict," "continue," "target," or the negatives of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern TechTarget's or NewCo's expectations, strategy, priorities, plans, or intentions. Forward-looking statements are based upon current plans, estimates, and expectations that are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. We can give no assurance that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved, and therefore, actual results may differ materially from any plans, estimates, or expectations in such forward-looking statements.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates, or expectations include, among others: that one or more closing conditions to the proposed transaction, including certain regulatory approvals, may not be satisfied or waived, on a timely basis or otherwise, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay, or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the proposed transaction, may require conditions, limitations, or restrictions in connection with such approvals or that the required approval by the shareholders of TechTarget may not be obtained; the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed in the time frame expected by Informa, TechTarget, or NewCo, or at all; unexpected costs, charges, or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; uncertainty of the expected financial performance of NewCo following completion of the proposed transaction; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including as a result of delay in completing the proposed transaction or integrating the relevant portion of the Informa Tech business with the business of TechTarget; the ability of NewCo to implement its business strategy; difficulties and delays in achieving revenue and cost synergies of NewCo; the occurrence of any event that could give rise to termination of the proposed transaction; potential litigation in connection with the proposed transaction or other settlements or investigations that may affect the timing or occurrence of the proposed transaction or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification, and liability; evolving legal, regulatory, and tax regimes; changes in economic, financial, political, and regulatory conditions, in the United States and elsewhere, and other factors that contribute to uncertainty and volatility, natural and man-made disasters, civil unrest, pandemics, geopolitical uncertainty, and conditions that may result from legislative, regulatory, trade, and policy changes associated with the current or subsequent U.S. administration;  risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; certain restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction that may impact TechTarget's ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; Informa's, TechTarget's, and NewCo's ability to meet expectations regarding the accounting and tax treatments of the proposed transaction; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of TechTarget's common stock; the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of TechTarget to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, stockholders, strategic partners and other business relationships and on its operating results and business generally; market acceptance of TechTarget's and the relevant portion of the Informa Tech business's products and services; the impact of pandemics and future health epidemics and any related economic downturns, on TechTarget's business and the markets in which it and its customers operate; changes in economic or regulatory conditions or other trends affecting the internet, internet advertising and information technology industries; data privacy and artificial intelligence laws, rules, and regulations; the impact of foreign currency exchange rates; certain macroeconomic factors facing the global economy, including instability in the regional banking sector, disruptions in the capital markets, economic sanctions and economic slowdowns or recessions, rising inflation and interest rate fluctuations on TechTarget's and the relevant portion of the Informa Tech business's results; and other matters included in TechTarget's filings with the SEC, including in Item 1A of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed transaction, will be more fully discussed in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus that will be included in the registration statement on Form S-4 that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in registration statement on Form S-4 will be, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements as they are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and that actual performance and outcomes, including, without limitation, our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of new markets or market segments in which we operate, may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this communication.

Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication. None of Informa, TechTarget, or NewCo undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or developments, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither future distribution of this communication nor the continued availability of this communication in archive form on TechTarget's website at www.TechTarget.com or Informa's website at www.informa.com/investors should be deemed to constitute an update or re-affirmation of these statements as of any future date.

 

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