Ipsos (IPS) Investor Day 2026 summary

Strategic vision and transformation

• Aims to become the AI-augmented global leader in market research, leveraging technology and human expertise for enhanced, real-time, and impactful insights at scale.

• Six strategic choices/pillars: multi-specialist offerings, global-local footprint, radical speed, AI as a catalyst, access to real people/proprietary panels, and moving up the value chain.

• Plans to accelerate innovation, productize services, expand into adjacent markets like Data Integration & Analytics, and maintain leadership in key markets such as the US and China.

• Emphasizes maintaining core values (integrity, curiosity, collaboration, client-centricity, entrepreneurial spirit) and operating principles (security, speed, simplicity, substance) during transformation.

• Transformation includes upskilling, leadership rotation, and workforce planning to expand data science and AI talent.

Financial guidance and growth targets

• Organic growth targets: 3%-4% average yearly for 2026–2028, rising to above 5% for 2029–2030.

• Operating margin to improve from 12.8% (past years) to 13.5% by 2028 and above 14% in 2029–2030.

• Adjusted EPS growth targeted at 8% per year from 2025/2026, including M&A contributions.

• Plans to generate €1.4bn free cash flow over five years, investing up to €1.2bn (mainly M&A, also CapEx and AI/tech investments), with up to €600M additional debt.

• Shareholder returns to rise to 40%-50% of adjusted EPS, mainly via dividends.

Innovation, AI, and service development

• AI and technology are central to new offerings, with platforms like Ipsos Digital and Synthesio enabling speed, scale, and real-time or 48-hour delivery.

• AI used for synthetic data, data augmentation, and predictive analytics, with human expertise ensuring explainability and trust.

• Launching globally managed services in creative, innovation, and behavioral measurement, aiming for double-digit growth and several hundred million EUR in new revenue.

• Data Integration & Analytics targeted to reach 10% of global revenues by 2030, leveraging unique access to real people and multi-domain expertise.

• Over €1 billion to be invested in tech, AI, and data over five years, mainly funded by free cash flow and acquisitions.