Financial Results
Preliminary Results
08 March 2005
Unaudited results for the year ended 31 December 2004
Industry-leading performance driven by group strategy
Highlights 2004
| Year ended 31 Dec 2004 |
Year ended 31 Dec 2003 |
Reported Growth |
Constant Currency Growth |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £747.0m | £648.8m | +15.1% | +20.9% |
| Gross Profit | £647.5m | £572.5m | +13.1% | +18.3% |
| Underlying Operating Profit* | £100.3m | £84.2m | +19.1% | +23.8% |
| Underlying PBT* | £93.9m | £80.5m | +16.6% | +22.5% |
- Organic revenue growth 8.4% at constant currency (2003: 4.7%)
- Media revenues up 10.4% (13.9% at constant currency) to £474.6m (2003: £429.9m)
- Research revenues up 24.4% (35.5% at constant currency) to £272.4 m (2003: £218.9m)
- Media net new business billings $1,842m (2003: $728m)
- Underlying operating profit up 19.1% to £100.3m (2003: £84.2m)
- Underlying operating margin 15.5% (2003: 14.7%)
- Underlying diluted EPS* up 15.2% to 5.61p (2003: 4.87p)
- UK GAAP diluted EPS up 53.4% to 2.93p (2003: 1.91p)
- Dividend up 9.8% to 1.45p per share for the full year