Bloomsbury Publishing (BMY) H2 2026 earnings summary

Executive summary

• Achieved 7% profit growth to £44.9m and increased profit margin to 13.8%, driven by digital sales in academic and professional segments.

• Maintained a 31-year unbroken record of dividend growth, with a 5% increase this year.

• Diversified portfolio across consumer and academic publishing, print and digital, and international markets underpins resilience.

• Major reorganization to a vertical structure and direct sales in the US expected to enhance agility and financial performance.

• Board confident in delivering record profit in FY 2026-2027, supported by a robust publishing pipeline and ongoing AI licensing agreements.

Financial highlights

• FY 2026 profit reached £44.9m, up 7% year-over-year; margin improved by 210bps to 13.8%.

• EPS increased 8% to 44.57p.

• Dividend per share increased 5% to 16.20p, continuing an unbroken growth record since 1994.

• Net cash position improved to £29.2m from £17m, with cash of £44m and debt of £15m.

• Gross profit margin improved to 58.8% from 56.5% year-over-year.

Outlook and guidance

• Strong publishing list for the year ahead, including two new Sarah J. Maas novels and Harry Potter TV serialization.

• Board expects record profit in FY 2026-2027, supported by major releases and TV/film tie-ins.

• AI licensing agreement with Google continues into 2026/27, expected to drive further Academic & Professional growth.

• Expansion in Asia with a new Singapore base to capture academic market growth.