Media group Reach, whose titles include the Mirror, Express and the Daily Record, says a resilient print business and cost-cutting will see full-year profits come in ahead of market expectations.
It expects to deliver adjusted operating profit of £99.1 million, though digital revenues are projected to be 1% lower than the prior year because of lower Google referral volumes and ongoing macroeconomic weakness.
Piers North, chief executive, said: “During the period we made significant strategic progress, notably launching digital subscriptions, expanding video output and growing our off-platform audiences.
“We look forward to the year ahead and thank our teams for their efforts in delivering this year’s results.”
Results for the year ended 31 December 2025 will be announced on 3 March.
Kier Group
Construction company Kier Group has reported strong trading for the first half of the fiscal year, with full-year expectations remaining unchanged and a significant milestone achieved in its cash position.
The company’s order book stood at a record c.£11.6bn as of December 31, 2025, with 94% of FY26 revenue secured.
Recent contract wins include work with British Airways, Southern Water worth £44m, and extensions at Hinkley Point C, alongside £112m in education projects and an £85.5m contract for the Government Property Agency Hub in Darlington.
Kier achieved an average month-end net cash position of c.£15m for the period, a substantial improvement from the prior year’s net debt of £(38)m.
The company also announced the combination of its Transportation and Natural Resources, Nuclear & Networks divisions into a single Infrastructure division.
DFS
DFS Furniture has posted strong profit growth and cash flow, with full-year profit expected to exceed current market consensus.
The company anticipates first-half underlying profit before tax and brand amortisation to be between £30-31 million, a significant increase year-on-year.
Group order intake rose by 2.3%, and gross sales are projected to increase by approximately 8.7%.
Net bank debt has reduced to £60-61 million, with leverage improving to 0.8x. The company now expects full-year PBTu(A) to be between £43-50 million, surpassing the consensus of £41 million.
DFS has appointed Dominique Highfield as chief financial officer, joining in May.
Craneware
Craneware, the Edinburgh-based company providing billing software to the US health sector, reported a strong first half. Full story here
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