GlobalData Plc
Half Year Results
30 June 2025
Resilient H1 performance and good progress in Growth Transformation Plan
GlobalData Plc (AIM: DATA, GlobalData, the Group), the leading data, insight, and technology company, today publishes its results for the half year ended 30 June 2025 (HY25).
- Revenue grew 12% to £156.5m (HY24: £139.6m), with underlying growth of 1% reflecting the transformation and investments in sales go-to-market and corporate infrastructure, alongside macro-economic headwinds.
- Investments ahead of sales growth have reduced underlying Adjusted EBITDA margin to 38% (2024: 41%), with the phasing of costs to deliver synergies from recent acquisitions and foreign currency impact further reducing Adjusted EBITDA to £52.1m, and Adjusted EBITDA margin to 33% (HY24: £57.8m). We expect to return to a normalised margin through the second half.
- Operating profit declined to £28.5m (HY24: £37.8m) having been impacted by acquisition and integration expenses and costs in relation to other corporate projects.
- Operating cash flow conversion was 127% of Adjusted EBITDA for the half (HY24: 130%).
- Momentum building in underlying Contracted Forward Revenue growth of 3%, providing strong visibility for the remainder of FY25 and beyond.
- Volume and value renewal rates have been consistent through the half.
- Continued investment in Growth Transformation Plan initiatives.
- Product offering strengthened with £34.5m investment in two value-creating acquisitions, Ai Palette (March 2025) and Stylus (July 2025).
- Process for move to Main Market listing expected to complete in Q4 2025.
- Tender offer of up to £60.0m to be launched on 5 August 2025 at £1.50 per share, following £39.7m shares bought back in the first half.
Mike Danson, Chief Executive Officer of GlobalData Plc, commented: “The first half of 2025 has been one of transition as we have embedded new ways of working to equip our sales teams to pivot to solutions-based selling. This is all part of our number one priority – customer obsession – to get even closer to our customers. We are starting to see good signs of progress with momentum building in improved Contracted Forward Revenue and a pipeline of stronger expanding relationships.
As part of our Growth Transformation Plan we continue to invest to make our ‘One Platform’ the best it can be, purposefully advancing our offering with AI and launching a suite of digital workers, helping our global customers make critical decisions. As we enter the second half, we look forward to joining the Main Market and believe that our continued investment in the business and platform, our strong balance sheet, cash flows and significant M&A firepower offers shareholders a compelling long-term opportunity for strong returns.”
Highlights
Financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2025.
| Key performance metrics | HY 2025 | HY 2024 | Growth | Underlying growth |
| Revenue | £156.5m | £139.6m | +12% | +1% |
| Operating profit | £28.5m | £37.8m | -25% | |
| Operating profit margin | 18% | 27% | -9pts | |
| Adjusted EBITDA | £52.1m | £57.8m | -10% | -8% |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | 33% | 41% | -8pts | |
| Profit before tax (PBT) | £24.7m | £26.9m | -8% | |
| Earnings per share (EPS) | 0.8p | 2.5p | -68% | |
| Adjusted EPS | 3.0p | 3.8p | -21% | |
| Interim dividend | 0.3p | 1.5p | -80% | |
| Contracted Forward Revenue | £157.4m | £142.9m | +10% | +3% |
| Net (bank debt)/ cash | (£16.8m) | £188.3m | -109% |
Growth transformation: solutions-based selling, AI innovation and strategic M&A
- Good progress against our three-year Growth Transformation Plan.
- Transforming sales organisation with new sales teams embedded and transitioning to solutions-based selling.
- Active strategic account management starting to drive a pipeline of expanding customer relationships.
- The Average Client Value for customers above £20,000 has increased to £81,000, 6% growth year-on-year.
- Continued investment in product enhancing AI capabilities and solutions.
- Launched “Sam”, our first digital worker, using agentic AI to deliver personalised insights, automate workflows, and increase productivity for our sales professionals.
- Platform further strengthened with £34.5m of investment across two value-creating acquisitions:
- Ai Palette a leading AI powered platform for predictive consumer insights and product innovation, on 7 March 2025, and
- Stylus, the consumer trends intelligence business, on 7 July 2025.
Financial performance: revenue growth and strategic investment impact
- Overall revenue growth of 12% to £156.5m (HY24: £139.6m).
- Underlying revenue growth flat at 1% reflecting the transformation and investments in sales go-to-market and corporate infrastructure, alongside macro-economic headwinds. Some evidence of momentum building through the second quarter.
- Contracted Forward Revenue grew 10% to £157.4m (HY24: £142.9m), reflecting underlying growth of 3% and providing strong visibility for the remainder of FY25 and beyond.
- Investments ahead of sales growth have reduced underlying Adjusted EBITDA margin to 38% (2024: 41%), with the phasing of costs to deliver synergies from recent acquisitions and foreign currency impact further reducing Adjusted EBITDA to £52.1m and Adjusted EBITDA margin to 33% (HY24: £57.8m). We expect to return to a normalised margin through the second half.
- Starting to see the early benefits from sales reorganisation with increased focus on strategic accounts.
- FY24 acquisitions are generating the associated cost synergies as planned and are expected to provide £8.0m of Adjusted EBITDA contribution through the second half of the year.
- Operating profit declined to £28.5m (HY24: £37.8m) having been impacted by acquisition and integration expenses.
- Operating cash flow conversion was 127% of Adjusted EBITDA for the half (HY24: 130%).
- Tender offer of up to £60.0m to be launched on 5 August 2025 at £1.50 per share as the Board seeks to return surplus capital to shareholders. This follows a total share buyback and cancellation of £39.7m during the first half under the previously announced share buyback programmes (HY24: £nil).
- Interim dividend of 0.3p (HY24: 1.5p), reflecting the rebasing of the dividend as announced in June 2024.
Outlook: building momentum and growth trajectory to £500m revenue target
- Enter H2 with momentum in Contracted Forward Revenue which provides visibility for the remainder of FY25 and beyond.
- Our new sales teams are now embedded. Active strategic account management is starting to drive a pipeline of stronger expanding relationships.
- Foreign exchange headwinds expected to have a c.£10.0m impact on revenue for FY25, given that c.50% of Group revenues are derived in USD.
- Despite a slower start to the financial year, the Board expects to regain Adjusted EBITDA margin in the second half, driven by operational improvements and M&A contributions.
- Well positioned to maintain resilient growth and strong execution of the Growth Transformation Plan.