Powell speech takes center stage in Tuesday’s economic events
Investing.com -- Shares of S4 Capital (LON:SFOR) fell more than 9% on Monday after the company lowered its full-year revenue forecast and reported first-half results that came in below expectations.
Net revenue for the first half of 2025 was about 2% behind consensus estimates, while operational EBITDA was roughly 24% below forecasts.
The company reported operational EBITDA of £20.8 million, down 31% on a reported basis and 30% on a like-for-like basis.
Group like-for-like net revenue declined 9% in the half, compared with a 11.4% drop in the first quarter.
Marketing Services, which makes up about 90% of net revenue, recorded a 5.2% like-for-like decline in the second quarter, improving from a 7.5% fall in the first quarter.
Technology Services, contributing 9% of revenue, dropped 34% in the second quarter after a 36.9% decline in the first.
Jefferies cited management commentary pointing to the continuing impact of volatile global macroeconomic conditions along with the effect of tariff negotiations.
The company said clients remain cautious given the uncertainty, with technology clients, which account for almost half of revenue, continuing to prioritise capital expenditure on expanding AI capacity.
Closing net debt was £145.9 million at the end of the half, down from £183 million in the second quarter of 2024. Net debt to last-12-months pro forma operational EBITDA stood at 1.7 times.
The board did not propose an interim dividend but said it may consider an “enhanced final dividend for 2025” if second-half performance and liquidity targets are met. The company paid a 1p per share final dividend for 2024.
Full-year like-for-like net revenue is now expected to decline by a mid-single-digit percentage, compared with earlier guidance for a low-single-digit drop.
Jefferies noted that management expects second-half improvement to come from easier comparisons following the loss of a previously signaled technology client and contributions from new contracts with General Motors, Amazon, T-Mobile and a U.S.-based consumer goods company.
Guidance for full-year operational EBITDA was maintained, with expectations it will be broadly in line with 2024’s £87.8 million.
Like-for-like growth is expected to improve in the second half as a result of cost discipline and new business wins.
Net debt guidance for 2025, excluding leases, remains unchanged at £100 million to £140 million.
The company reaffirmed its medium-term target of reducing leverage to 1.5 times and its long-term target of reaching EBITDA margins of around 20%.
Jefferies said S4 Capital trades at an FY26 EV/EBITDA multiple of about 3 times, compared with a peer group average of 6 times.