Business
2017 Interim Results
2017 Interim Results.
About this update from Wpp Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \nRNS Number : 7211O WPP PLC 23 August 2017 \n\n\n\n\n\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\n\n23 August 2017\n\n\n\n\n \nWPP | 2017 Interim Results\n \nn Reported billings up 6.3% at £26.906 billion, down 4.7% in constant currency\nn Reported revenue up 13.3% at £7.404 billion, down 0.4% at $9.328 billion, up 2.7% at €8.609 billion and up 0.4% at ¥1.047 trillion\nn Constant currency revenue up 1.9%, like-for-like revenue down 0.3%\nn Constant currency net sales up 2.2%, like-for-like net sales down 0.5% \nn Reported net sales margin of 13.9%, up 0.2 margin points versus last year, flat in constant currency and up 0.1 margin points like-for-like\nn Headline reported profit before interest and tax £882 million up 14.7%, and up 1.9% in constant currency\nn Headline profit before tax £793 million up 15.0%, up 1.8% in constant currency \nn Profit before tax £779 million up 83.3%, up 52.4% in constant currency primarily reflecting net exceptional costs in the first half of 2016 of £122 million and gains on the fair value of financial instruments in the first half of 2017 \nn Reported profit after tax £634 million up 124.7%, up 80.6% in constant currency \nn Headline diluted earnings per share 45.4p up 16.1%, up 2.4% in constant currency \nn Reported diluted earnings per share 46.6p up 146.6%, up 95.1% in constant currency\nn Dividends per share 22.7p up 16.1%, a pay-out ratio of 50%, in line with target \nn Share buy-backs of £290 million in the first half, up from £197 million last year, equivalent to 1.3% of the issued share capital against 1.0% last year\nn Return on equity up strongly at 16.9% for the 12 months to 30 June 2017 from 15.5% for the previous 12 months period. The weighted average cost of capital at 30 June 2017 was 6.3% down slightly from 6.4% at 31 December 2016\nn Including associates and investments, revenue totals over $26 billion annually and people average over 200,000\nn Reported EBITDA £1.016 billion, over £1 billion for the first time in a half-year period, up 14.2%, up 1.7% in constant currency\nn Net new business momentum returned together with leadership of net new business league tables in the first half-year and beyond\n \nKey figures\n\n\n\n\n£ million\n\n\nH1 2017\n\n\n∆ reported[1]\n\n\n∆ constant[2]\n\n\nH1 2016\n\n\n\n\nBillings\n\n\n26,906\n\n\n6.3%\n\n\n-4.7%\n\n\n25,...