YouGov – the votes are in or are they? Will tomorrow’s AGM count? Shares 257p, brokers average TP 452p

Mark Watson-Mitchell - 03.12.2025

Early tomorrow morning, at 8.30am, should see the global pollster group YouGov (LON:YOU) hold its AGM covering the Report & Accounts for the year to end-July.

It will be interesting to note whether there is a published AGM Trading Update, however the odds are against such an occurrence.

That is a shame because investors need to see and hear as much corporate newsflow as is possible, thereby creating anticipation of beneficial progress, while pillowing against any shock developments.

Whatever occurs I have to say that I do get a good feel for this £300m-capitalised group’s equity, with its shares currently trading at around the 257p level.

The Business

YouGov is a global research data and analytics group with a mission to offer unparalleled insight into what the world really thinks and does.

As innovators and pioneers of online market research, the Group has a strong reputation as a trusted source of accurate data and insights.

With one of the world's largest research networks, the Group has operations in the US, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia Pacific.

The business is powered by reality, which stems from a unique panel of millions of registered members across 63 countries, encapsulating some 18m shopping trips and millions of interconnected data points.

Its unique approach to recruiting and engaging with its panel, combined with its state-of-the-art technology platforms, enables it to deliver real-world, real-time insights that lead to better decision-making and a competitive advantage for its clients.

YouGov data is regularly referenced by the global press, and it is consistently one of the most quoted market research sources in the world.

Recently Announced Finals

In mid-October, the Group announced its results for the year to end-July, showing 16% improved revenue of £388.9m (£335.3m), while its adjusted operating profit rose by 22% to £60.7m.

Adjusted basic earnings per share increased by 8% to 31.7p, paying a 9.25p dividend.

The company's net debt stood at £144.0m (£148.2m).

The Group expects modest progress in revenue and adjusted operating profit for the current financial year.

Management Comment

CEO Stephan Shakespeare stated that:

"YouGov has delivered a stable performance with improved margins through the strength of our teams and our resilient business model.

Our focus on execution and cost discipline has rebuilt momentum and the strategic steps we've implemented demonstrate our commitment to returning to sustainable, profitable growth.

The Board remains confident that our strategy will achieve our ambition of becoming the world's leading provider of opinion data.

We believe that the strategic investments we are making in panel, technology and data science will help us become a stronger, faster platform company.

With our third strategic plan and clear executional priorities in place, we are well-positioned to drive long-term value creation for all stakeholders."

The Equity

There are some 116.82m shares in issue, with institutions owning around 71% of the share capital.

The larger holders include abrdn Investment Management (7.21%), Liontrust Investment Partners (6.11%), Artemis Investment Management (4.99%), T Rowe Price International (4.85%), Brown Capital Management (4.84%), Jupiter Asset Management (3.68%), Rathbone Investment Management (3.56%), BlackRock Investment Management (3.30%s), Investec Wealth & Investment (2.90%), and Columbia Management Investment Advisers (2.06%).

Broker’s Views

There are six firms closely following the Group.

The consensus average from the six is that the shares are a Buy.

The average Target Price is 452p, the Lowest 253p, while the Highest call is for 600p.

Upon the mid-October Finals announcement, it was interesting to note that in its Buy note UBS cut its price target to 510p (570p), while Deutsche Bank Research cut its Buy note’s price target to 438p (565p).

In My View

Straight after the October results date, the CEO bought 39,060 shares @ 256p each, while Non-Exec Ian Griffiths paid 260p for 19,216 shares.

With its shares at just 257p, it so often pays to follow the ‘insiders’ !