WPP reiterates FY guidance as Q3 sales nudge higher

29th Oct 2026 12:39

(Sharecast News) - Advertising firm WPP reiterated its full-year guidance on Thursday as it posted a slight uptick in third-quarter revenues.

In the three months to September end, revenue nudged up 0.5% on a reported and like-for-like basis, to £3.3bn. However, revenue less pass-through costs fell 2% to £2.4bn, or 2.1% on a like-for-like basis.

Reported revenue in the year to date was down 2.8% on the year at £9.6bn, or 1.9% lower on a LFL basis. YTD revenue less pass-through costs fell 4.4% on a reported basis to £7.2bn. On a LFL basis, it was down 3.9%.

WPP said its performance in the third quarter was in line with its expectations. It continues to expect LFL revenue less pass-through costs down low to mid-single digits in the second half, with the fourth quarter towards the higher end of this range. It also maintained its forecast for full-year headline operating margin to be between 12% and 13%.

Chief executive Cindy Rose said the Q3 results show further sequential improvement in LFL growth, in line with the company's expectations.

"This reinforces my confidence in our strategy and our ability to deliver our plan. We remain focused on disciplined execution as we prepare for the 'Build' phase of Elevate28 and position WPP for a return to growth during 2027," she said.

Rose said client demand for WPP's AI-enabled media, creative, production and enterprise solutions remains healthy.

"Winning competitive pitches to renew long-standing partnerships with clients like The Coca-Cola Company and DoorDash provides further evidence of commercial momentum and client confidence in WPP's ability to drive brand differentiation and business growth at a global scale," she added.

At 1235 GMT, the shares were up 1.7% at 390.90p.

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