WPP’s shares plunged by almost 5% on Thursday morning, hitting a 16-year low, after it introduced extra disappointing monetary outcomes and a strategic evaluate beneath incoming chief government (CEO) Cindy Rose.
The numbers
4.3% – decline in income much less pass-through prices for the primary half of 2025, with complete revenues reaching $6.7 billion (£5.03 billion).
5.8% – decline in income much less pass-through prices for Q2 2025, reaching $3.3 billion (£2.5 billion).
47.8% – decline in working revenue for the primary half of 2025 to $295.5 million (£221 million).
7,000 – discount in headcount over the previous yr.
Watercooler speak
The beleaguered holding firm, which owns companies together with Ogilvy and VML, halved its dividend and stated Rose, who will succeed outgoing CEO Mark Learn on Sept. 1, will evaluate the corporate’s technique.
WPP revealed that it had reduce prices over the interval. That included decreasing its international workforce to 104,000 from 111,000 a yr in the past; slashing workers incentives by 60% to $78.8 million (£59 million); and lowering its freelancer finances by 13% within the final yr.
This was Learn’s final earnings report after WPP appointed Rose, a former Microsoft government, to the highest job final month. The group has been hit by shopper losses from manufacturers reminiscent of Mars, layoffs, restructuring, and a rocky rollout of its return-to-office mandate.
Nevertheless, Learn stated the corporate had made “important progress” on repositioning WPP Media (the brand new model for its media companies that it revealed earlier this yr), simplifying its group, and decreasing prices. It additionally acquired information collaboration platform InfoSum to reinforce its AI and information capabilities, and has been investing in AI by platforms like WPP Open.
Key quote
Learn bid farewell after seven years on the helm of WPP.
“WPP is an organization with huge strengths in creativity and media, expertise and AI, gifted folks, deep shopper relationships, and unmatched international attain,” he stated. “All through my seven years as CEO, technological innovation has been a relentless, and I consider that due to our funding in AI, we will look to the longer term with confidence.”
“I want to thank our purchasers for his or her partnership and our folks for his or her dedication, and I want them, and Cindy, each success sooner or later.”
