29 January 2021
YouGov plc
("YouGov" or the "Group")
Pre-Close Trading Update and Notice of Results
YouGov, the international research and data analytics group, today issues a trading update for the six months ending 31 January 2021.
We are pleased to report that half year trading is anticipated to be in line with the Board's expectations for the current financial year.
YouGov performed well during the period with underlying revenue growth across all three divisions. Performance was led by Data Services as we saw strong demand for more tactical, fast turnaround projects. Growth in Data Products and Custom Research was more moderate. However, both divisions have seen positive momentum with larger, more strategic projects coming through towards the end of the calendar year. This strong sales pipeline provides good visibility into the second half. Mainland Europe is on track to deliver better than expected performance. The Group's headline operating profit was impacted by an increased non-cash share-based payments charge, resulting from a modification in accounting treatment, while underlying margin continued to grow.
During the period, YouGov continued to invest for future growth, particularly in its global panel (commencing expansion to a further 15 countries) and technology platform (launching new products and working towards bringing our entire product suite onto a single platform).
The Board remains confident of achieving its full year targets in line with the second five-year growth plan, albeit with the phasing of revenue growth and margin delivery weighted towards the second half of the financial year.
Notice of Results
YouGov will publish its results for the six months ended 31 January 2021 on Tuesday 23 March 2021. The YouGov management team will host a conference call on the day at 9.30am. Should you wish to attend please contact FTI Consulting: SCyougov@fticonsulting.com
Enquiries:
YouGov plc
Stephan Shakespeare / Alex McIntosh / Hannah Jethwani 020 7012 6000
FTI Consulting
Charles Palmer / Elena Kalinskaya 020 3727 1000
Numis Securities (NOMAD and Joint Broker)
Nick Westlake / Hugo Rubinstein / Matt Lewis 020 7260 1000
Berenberg (Joint Broker)
Mark Whitmore / Alix Mecklenburg-Solodkoff 020 3207 7800
About YouGov
YouGov is an international research and data analytics group.
Our mission is to supply a continuous stream of accurate data into what the world thinks, so that organisations can better serve the communities that sustain them.
Each day, our highly engaged proprietary global panel of over 11 million registered members provides us with thousands of data points on consumer opinions, attitudes and behaviour. We combine this continuous stream of data with our research expertise to provide insights that enable intelligent decision-making and informed conversations.
Our ground-breaking syndicated Data Products include the daily brand perception tracker, YouGov BrandIndex, and the media planning and segmentation tool, YouGov Profiles. Our market-leading YouGov Data Services division provides a fast and cost-effective solution for reaching nationally representative and specialist samples. YouGov's Custom Research division offers a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research, tailored by sector specialist teams to meet clients' specific requirements.
With operations in the UK, North America, Mainland Europe, the Nordics, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, YouGov has one of the world's largest research networks.
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For further information visit yougov.com.