Last close As at 05/08/2026
—
— 0.00 (0.00%)
Market capitalisation
—
Research: TMT
YouGov’s year-end trading update indicates that results will be in line with management expectations, with a strong sales pipeline giving confidence for further progress in FY22. Particularly encouraging is that the progress is described as across ‘all divisions and geographies’ (on an underlying basis). The group is broadening its sales resource to keep driving the strategic, longer-term deals that are building recurring revenues and it continues to build its presence in the important US market. Our modelling suggests year-end net cash of £40.5m, giving plenty of flex for further technology and panel investment, and geographic expansion.
YouGov |
Strong sales pipeline |
Year-end trading update |
Media |
30 July 2021 |
Share price performance
Business description
Next events
Analyst
YouGov is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
YouGov’s year-end trading update indicates that results will be in line with management expectations, with a strong sales pipeline giving confidence for further progress in FY22. Particularly encouraging is that the progress is described as across ‘all divisions and geographies’ (on an underlying basis). The group is broadening its sales resource to keep driving the strategic, longer-term deals that are building recurring revenues and it continues to build its presence in the important US market. Our modelling suggests year-end net cash of £40.5m, giving plenty of flex for further technology and panel investment, and geographic expansion.
Year end |
Revenue |
PBT* |
EPS* |
DPS |
EV/EBITDA |
P/E |
Yield |
07/19 |
136.5 |
20.4 |
13.8 |
4.0 |
40.3 |
93.8 |
0.3 |
07/20 |
152.4 |
24.7 |
15.7 |
5.0 |
34.0 |
82.6 |
0.4 |
07/21e |
170.0 |
30.6 |
17.4 |
5.5 |
28.8 |
74.4 |
0.4 |
07/22e |
185.0 |
37.0 |
21.3 |
6.5 |
25.5 |
60.7 |
0.5 |
Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments.
Improving revenue momentum
The momentum has been good in Data Services, with clients keen to understand the short-term vacillations in their markets as economies rebuild. H121 revenue growth here was 19% and the full year outturn is described as ‘strong’. The uncertain backdrop had been making sales conversion more difficult for the larger, multinational and longer-term contracts, but momentum has improved for both Data Products and Custom Research. We anticipate better performance in both these segments in H221 and through into FY22 (stripping out the impact of the ending of the Kurdistan Custom Research contract – see March update note).
Balance sheet supports expansion
YouGov made several small acquisitions during FY21 (all below the threshold for financial disclosure), including one just prior to the financial year-end. This was of Australian online-focused data insights consultancy Faster Horses, which speeds the scaling of operations in that geography. Other purchases included a Turkish research company, a Canadian sports research company, opening in Brazil and open banking start-up Lean App, all fitting the criteria of infill of geography or adding a key market specialism. The strong balance sheet should enable this type of expansion to continue alongside further investment in technology – pulling all of the suite onto one platform – and further expansion of the panel.
Valuation: Remains at top end of the global peer set
YouGov’s share price is up 21% year-to-date as market prospects have clarified. Peer group share price performances have been even stronger, but YouGov’s valuation multiples remain towards the top end of the global peer group, where the more data and analytics-weighted groups trade at a clear premium. YouGov’s rating also reflects its strong market positioning, attractive cash generation (92% cash conversion of adjusted EBITDA in H121) and cash-positive balance sheet.
Exhibit 1: Financial summary
£'000s |
2019 |
2020 |
2021e |
2022e |
||
Year end 31 July |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
||
PROFIT & LOSS |
||||||
Revenue |
|
|
136,487 |
152,441 |
170,000 |
185,000 |
Cost of Sales |
(24,206) |
(23,375) |
(26,038) |
(27,678) |
||
Gross Profit |
112,281 |
129,067 |
143,962 |
157,321 |
||
EBITDA |
|
|
31,698 |
39,215 |
47,894 |
54,319 |
Operating Profit (before amort. and except.) |
|
|
18,492 |
21,830 |
25,752 |
32,177 |
Intangible Amortisation |
(8,809) |
(12,885) |
(14,300) |
(14,300) |
||
Share based payments |
(2,401) |
(2,900) |
(5,000) |
(5,000) |
||
Exceptionals |
1,529 |
(6,630) |
(3,105) |
0 |
||
Other |
200 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Operating Profit |
20,221 |
15,200 |
22,647 |
32,177 |
||
Net Interest |
(665) |
7 |
(175) |
(150) |
||
Profit Before Tax (norm) |
|
|
20,428 |
24,737 |
30,577 |
37,027 |
Profit Before Tax (IFRS16) |
|
|
19,356 |
15,207 |
22,472 |
32,027 |
Tax |
(5,086) |
(5,812) |
(8,588) |
(12,240) |
||
Profit After Tax (norm) |
15,342 |
18,925 |
21,988 |
24,787 |
||
Profit After Tax (IFRS16) |
14,270 |
9,395 |
13,883 |
19,787 |
||
Average Number of Shares Outstanding (m) |
105.4 |
106.7 |
109.5 |
110.7 |
||
EPS - normalised (p) |
|
|
13.8 |
15.7 |
17.4 |
21.3 |
EPS - IFRS 16 (p) |
|
|
14.1 |
9.0 |
12.7 |
17.9 |
Dividend per share (p) |
4.0 |
5.0 |
5.5 |
6.5 |
||
Gross Margin (%) |
82.3 |
84.7 |
84.7 |
85.0 |
||
EBITDA Margin (%) |
23.2 |
25.7 |
28.2 |
29.4 |
||
Operating Margin (before GW and except) (%) |
13.5 |
14.3 |
15.1 |
17.4 |
||
BALANCE SHEET |
||||||
Fixed Assets |
|
|
108,534 |
108,122 |
112,280 |
110,638 |
Intangible Assets |
82,374 |
84,611 |
87,511 |
88,211 |
||
Tangible Assets |
26,160 |
23,511 |
24,769 |
22,427 |
||
Investments |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Current Assets |
|
|
72,581 |
70,255 |
79,911 |
90,923 |
Stocks |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Debtors |
33,726 |
34,239 |
38,658 |
43,082 |
||
Cash |
37,925 |
35,309 |
40,547 |
47,134 |
||
Current Liabilities |
|
|
(51,395) |
(52,813) |
(62,452) |
(57,116) |
Creditors |
(51,395) |
(52,813) |
(62,452) |
(57,116) |
||
Short term borrowings |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Long Term Liabilities |
|
|
(22,277) |
(16,226) |
(17,446) |
(17,446) |
Long term borrowings |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Other long term liabilities |
(22,277) |
(16,226) |
(17,446) |
(17,446) |
||
Net Assets |
|
|
107,443 |
109,338 |
112,293 |
126,999 |
CASH FLOW |
||||||
Operating Cash Flow |
|
|
38,115 |
38,411 |
46,445 |
54,059 |
Net Interest |
183 |
(7) |
175 |
150 |
||
Tax |
(4,520) |
(3,184) |
(8,588) |
(12,240) |
||
Capex |
(12,166) |
(18,559) |
(21,000) |
(17,500) |
||
Acquisitions/disposals |
(6,583) |
(7,451) |
(3,824) |
(9,500) |
||
Financing |
(3,652) |
(4,739) |
(2,200) |
(2,000) |
||
Dividends |
(3,327) |
(4,298) |
(5,420) |
(6,081) |
||
Net Cash Flow |
8,050 |
173 |
5,588 |
6,887 |
||
Opening net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(30,621) |
(37,925) |
(35,309) |
(40,547) |
HP finance leases initiated |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
Other |
(747) |
(2,789) |
(350) |
(300) |
||
Closing net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(37,925) |
(35,309) |
(40,547) |
(47,134) |
Source: Company accounts, Edison Investment Research
|
|
Research: Metals & Mining
Agnico’s (AEM’s) Q221 adjusted EPS of US$0.69/share was ahead of both the consensus average (US$0.59/share) and range of expectations (US$0.54–0.63/share). Relative to the prior-year period (which was adversely affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic), the increase in adjusted EPS was a very material 275.1%. Relative to Q121, the increase was a more modest 2.7%, driven by a 3.4% increase in revenue, a 3.6% increase in costs (such that gross margins were steady at 55.8% vs 55.9%) and a 7.9pp decline in the effective tax rate (from 40.7% to 32.8%). After the acquisition of TMAC in Q121, free cash flow reverted to a US$209.3m inflow, such that net debt declined by US$121.1m to US$1,406.6m (24.0% gearing; 19.3% leverage). Headline EPS of US$0.78/share advanced 39.0% quarter-on-quarter, augmented by financial gains and the quarterly dividend was maintained at US$0.35/share.