Strong Financial Performance in 2024
The company achieved underlying revenue growth of 7%, underlying adjusted operating profit growth of 10%, and adjusted earnings per share growth of 9% at constant currency. A 7% increase in the pound sterling full-year dividend is proposed.
Exhibitions Segment Growth
Exhibitions delivered underlying revenue growth of 11% with a significant margin improvement of 250 basis points, now well ahead of pre-pandemic levels.
Risk Segment Success
Risk segment showed underlying revenue growth of 8% and underlying adjusted operating profit growth of 9%, driven by AI-enabled analytics and decision tools with over 90% of divisional revenue from machine-to-machine interactions.
Strong Cash Conversion and Shareholder Returns
Cash conversion remained strong at 97%, with leverage reduced to 1.8x. A share buyback of £1 billion was deployed, with an additional £1.5 billion announced for 2025.
Continued Growth in Legal and STM Divisions
Legal division saw underlying revenue growth improve to 7% with adjusted operating profit growth at 9%. STM division showed a 4% revenue growth and 5% operating profit growth, with strong article submission and publication growth.