Yougov plc (GB:YOU)
LSE:YOU
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Yougov plc
(LSE:YOU)
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Rating:70Outperform
Price Target:
169.00 p
▼(-34.11% Downside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/25/26
The score is driven primarily by strong financial performance (revenue growth, improving margins, and solid cash flow) and a constructive earnings outlook focused on innovation and deleveraging. Offsetting this, technicals are notably weak with a clear downtrend despite oversold conditions, and valuation is mixed (high dividend yield but a relatively high P/E).
Positive Factors
Revenue growth & margin improvement
Sustained ~30% revenue growth alongside improving EBIT/EBITDA margins indicates scalable demand and stronger operational leverage. Over the next several months this should support durable profit conversion, enable reinvestment in data products, and bolster long-term cash generation.
Negative Factors
Elevated leverage
A net debt/EBITDA of ~1.7 and recent increases in leverage reduce financial flexibility. Management must trade off faster deleveraging against funding AI and product initiatives; constrained capital headroom could slow strategic investments or increase refinancing risk in adverse conditions.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Revenue growth & margin improvement
Sustained ~30% revenue growth alongside improving EBIT/EBITDA margins indicates scalable demand and stronger operational leverage. Over the next several months this should support durable profit conversion, enable reinvestment in data products, and bolster long-term cash generation.
Read all positive factors
Yougov plc (YOU) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£190.55M
Dividend Yield3.68%
Average Volume (3M)469.92K
Price to Earnings (P/E)10.5
Beta (1Y)0.69
Revenue Growth15.99%
EPS GrowthN/A
CountryUK
Employees1,960
SectorIndustrials
Sector Strength72
IndustryAdvertising Agencies
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.11
Shares Outstanding117,626,250
10 Day Avg. Volume680,425
30 Day Avg. Volume469,920
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-0.04
Price to Book (P/B)1.91
Price to Sales (P/S)0.94
P/FCF Ratio8.27
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£401.25Price Target Upside56.43% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering4
EPS Forecast (FY)0.28
Revenue Forecast (FY)£395.31M
Yougov plc Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
YouGov PLC is a global data and analytics company that specializes in market research, opinion polling, and consumer insights. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in London, YouGov operates in various sectors, including media, technology, and consum...
How the Company Makes Money
YouGov makes money primarily by selling research, data and analytics services and products to clients. Its revenue model typically includes: (1) Syndicated and subscription-based data products: recurring revenue from clients who subscribe to acces...
Yougov plc Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Oct 14, 2025
(Q4-2025)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Oct 13, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call reflects a company in transition, focusing on innovation and AI to drive future growth while managing current challenges in certain geographic and sectoral areas. Despite mixed geographic performance and sectoral challenges, the company shows strong potential for future growth through AI integration and successful product innovations.Positive Updates
Revenue Growth
Revenue increased from GBP 335 million to GBP 389 million, driven by the full-year impact of Shopper and a return to growth in data products.
Negative Updates
Geographic Performance Variability
Europe showed 0% growth year-over-year due to headwinds in Switzerland and Germany, while the U.K. experienced disruptions due to redundancy programs.
Read all updates
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive
Negative
Revenue Growth
Revenue increased from GBP 335 million to GBP 389 million, driven by the full-year impact of Shopper and a return to growth in data products.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
During the call, YouGov provided guidance for fiscal year 2026, emphasizing a strategic focus on growth and innovation despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. The company reported revenue of GBP 389 million and a profit increase from GBP 49.6 million to GBP 60.7 million, largely due to the successful integration of Shopper and GBP 20 million in annualized cost savings. While core YouGov saw only 1% growth, data products reversed a previous decline, bolstered by a return to an 82% renewal rate. The Americas showed 3% growth, and Asia Pacific grew by 2%, despite Europe and the U.K. facing challenges. YouGov remains committed to deleveraging its balance sheet, having reduced a EUR 240 million loan facility by EUR 36 million and adjusted amortization payments to EUR 20 million annually for fiscal 2026 and 2027. Looking forward, YouGov plans modest improvements in revenue and margin, driven by investments in data science and technology, with a focus on enhancing its data platform and expanding Shopper's capabilities.Yougov plc Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
85
Very Positive
Balance Sheet
78
Positive
Cash Flow
80
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Jul 2025 | Jul 2024 | Jul 2023 | Jul 2022 | Jul 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 392.00M | 388.90M | 335.30M | 258.30M | 221.10M | 169.00M |
| Gross Profit | 280.90M | 283.30M | 271.10M | 199.90M | 167.00M | 127.50M |
| EBITDA | 77.20M | 74.00M | 49.40M | 70.50M | 51.50M | 39.70M |
| Net Income | 12.20M | 13.40M | -2.40M | 34.50M | 17.10M | 12.50M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 564.40M | 600.30M | 609.70M | 304.30M | 240.40M | 198.50M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 32.80M | 54.80M | 73.60M | 107.20M | 37.40M | 35.50M |
| Total Debt | 209.60M | 221.90M | 238.80M | 11.20M | 12.20M | 13.20M |
| Total Liabilities | 377.90M | 409.20M | 426.50M | 108.10M | 115.40M | 86.50M |
| Stockholders Equity | 186.50M | 191.10M | 183.20M | 196.40M | 125.30M | 112.70M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 33.70M | 44.10M | 37.70M | 42.10M | 44.40M | 16.60M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 34.60M | 45.20M | 39.70M | 59.50M | 61.90M | 37.70M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -17.80M | -20.70M | -280.90M | -17.40M | -42.90M | -23.90M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -33.50M | -42.90M | 208.30M | 29.10M | -20.00M | -11.50M |
Yougov plc Technical Analysis
Negative
256.50
Price Trends
206.15
Negative
229.61
Negative
270.25
Negative
Market Momentum
-12.23
Positive
32.20
Neutral
49.94
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:YOU, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 256.5 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 183.64, above the 50-day MA of 206.15, and below the 200-day MA of 270.25, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -12.23 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 32.20 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 49.94 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for GB:YOU.
Yougov plc Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
70 Outperform | £190.55M | 10.47 | 6.46% | 3.68% | 15.99% | ― | |
70 Outperform | £34.51M | 67.27 | 19.89% | 2.29% | 3.32% | -10.58% | |
68 Neutral | £231.36M | -49.08 | 9.17% | 4.98% | -5.98% | -74.21% | |
63 Neutral | $10.79B | 15.43 | 7.44% | 2.01% | 2.89% | -14.66% | |
56 Neutral | £19.56M | -8.25 | -33.95% | 4.09% | -13.72% | -361.92% | |
49 Neutral | £2.51B | -16.88 | 11.44% | 9.68% | -4.54% | 86.79% | |
48 Neutral | £17.03M | -0.82 | -37.24% | ― | -0.79% | -100.22% |
* Industrials Sector Average
GB:YOU
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Yougov plc Corporate Events
Other
YouGov Chair and CEO Increase Holdings with Fresh Share Purchases
Positive
Mar 24, 2026
YouGov plc reported insider share purchases by senior leadership, with Chair Ian Griffiths acquiring 30,784 ordinary shares at £1.56 each and CEO Stephan Shakespeare buying 65,616 shares at £1.55, both on the London Stock Exchange. Follo...
Executive/Board Changes
YouGov Board Sees Departure of Non-Executive Director Shalini Govil-Pai
Neutral
Mar 24, 2026
YouGov has announced that Shalini Govil-Pai is stepping down from its Board as a Non-Executive Director at the end of her three-year term, effective immediately, due to increased demands from her other business commitments. Govil-Pai, a senior Goo...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesStock BuybackDividendsFinancial DisclosuresPrivate Placements and Financing
YouGov invests in AI and Shopper unit as profit mix shifts and buyback looms
Positive
Mar 24, 2026
YouGov reported a modest 2% rise in first-half revenue to £194.8 million, driven by solid demand in its Research division, while statutory operating profit rose 14% even as adjusted operating profit fell 20% due to heavy investment in its Sho...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
YouGov Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights for FCA Disclosure
Neutral
Mar 2, 2026
YouGov plc, the global research data and analytics group, reported that as of 28 February 2026 its issued share capital comprised 117,864,194 ordinary shares, with none held in treasury and 237,944 shares held by the YouGov Employee Benefit Trust ...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
YouGov Names Ian Griffiths as Permanent Chair Amid Leadership Transition
Positive
Feb 18, 2026
YouGov has announced a boardroom change, with Deborah Davis stepping down as chair and from the board, having guided the company through a leadership transition and a refocus on strategic priorities. The board has appointed Ian Griffiths, a non-ex...
Other
YouGov discloses insider share dealings by director and company secretary
Neutral
Feb 12, 2026
YouGov has disclosed recent dealings in its shares by senior insiders, including a purchase by non-executive director Ashley Martin and option-related transactions by company secretary Tilly Heald. Martin acquired 16,586 ordinary shares on the Lon...
Other
YouGov chair increases stake with London market share purchase
Positive
Feb 11, 2026
YouGov plc, the international research and data analytics group, reported a share purchase by its chair, Deborah Davis, in the open market. Following the transaction, Davis now holds 20,175 ordinary shares in the company, equating to approximately...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
YouGov reshapes finance leadership as long-serving CFO exits
Neutral
Feb 9, 2026
YouGov has announced a change in its finance leadership, with long-serving Chief Financial Officer Alex McIntosh stepping down from his role and from the Board after nineteen years at the company. McIntosh, credited by management with helping driv...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
YouGov Maintains Modest Growth Outlook as AI Investments Advance
Neutral
Feb 4, 2026
The company’s half-year trading update to 31 January 2026 shows low-single-digit revenue growth, upheld by Research division momentum and steady Data Product renewals, while YouGov Shopper lagged due to delivery phasing; targeted investments...
Other
YouGov CFO Increases Stake via Dividend Reinvestment Plan
Neutral
Jan 5, 2026
YouGov plc has disclosed that its Chief Finance Officer, Alex McIntosh, has increased his shareholding in the company through an automatic dividend reinvestment plan. On 15 December 2025, McIntosh acquired 31 ordinary shares at £2.55 each on ...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
YouGov Sets Updated Share Capital and Voting Rights Baseline for Disclosure Rules
Neutral
Jan 2, 2026
YouGov plc has confirmed that as of 31 December 2025 its issued share capital comprises 117,862,580 ordinary shares, with no shares held in treasury, and 651,680 of these shares held by the YouGov Employee Benefit Trust to satisfy employee share s...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.