WPP’s stock rose more than 26% in the early hours of trading, after the company’s first-half earnings beat analysts’ estimates.
The numbers
- –5.6%: Year-over-year decline in revenue less pass-through costs for the first half of 2026 to $6.39 billion (£4.75 billion), down 4.7% on a like-for-like basis
- –2.3%: YOY decline in revenue less pass-through costs for the second quarter to $3.34 billion (£2.48 billion), down 2.8% on a like-for-like basis
- –8.4%: YOY decline in average headcount, from 106,000 in the first half of 2025 to 97,000 in the first half of this year
- –3.5%: Decline in WPP Creative’s net sales for Q2, versus a 6.3% decline in Q1
- –2.8%: Decline in WPP Media’s Q2 net sales, versus an 8.3% decline in Q1
Watercooler talk
WPP is six months into its three-year turnaround plan, Elevate28, which is designed to stabilize the business and return it to growth, while delivering annual cost savings of $676 million (£500 million) by 2028. Chief executive Cindy Rose is nearly one year into her tenure.
“We’re on track with where we said we would be,” Rose said on an earnings call with journalists on Thursday (Aug. 6).
Rose said WPP made progress on its four strategic objectives, which are to deliver growth for clients, become a simpler and more integrated company, unlock the advantages of its agentic marketing platform WPP Open, and to “create firm financial foundations for the future.”
