Informa's Steady Growth.
Informa Reaffirms Strong Full-Year Outlook as Revenue Jumps 6.4% Amid Strategic Digital Push.
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In explaining why growth is returning, Informa said the rebound started in markets “directly affected by war in the Middle East,” citing that it runs events in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
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To manage conflict-related disruption, Informa said it is rescheduling “over 15 brands into 2026” and deferring some launches to 2027, while still expecting momentum in its event slate.
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Informa linked its longer-term execution plan to investment in technology and data: it is running its “2025-2028 One Informa programme” and said it is backed by an “heavily oversubscribed €500m Eurobond” (extending debt maturities) plus an ongoing “£250m share buyback,” underscoring balance-sheet support for the strategy.
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The trading update provided more granular detail on where B2B growth is showing: it cited strong performance in regions including “The Americas, Greater China, ASEAN, Europe and IMEA” (with about 90% of B2B Live Events in the pre-conflict set) and across sectors including healthcare, food, beauty & aesthetics, finance—alongside targeted investment in gaming to reposition GDC and launch a KSA brand, “Kingdom of Gaming.”
Informa shares climbed nearly 3% to 861.4p on Wednesday after the UK events and publishing giant reported 6.4% underlying revenue growth for the first five months of 2026. The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance for double-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share, telling investors it has more than $4bn of revenue already traded, booked or visible for the year. Yahoo Finance
Chief Executive Stephen Carter said the company has "momentum in both our businesses" and is "reconfirming full year earnings guidance." The update came ahead of Informa's annual general meeting and covers the period to May 31, 2026. AskTraders
Middle East Conflict Disrupted Events but Recovery Is Now Underway
Informa runs a large number of trade shows in the Gulf region, including events in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. When military conflict erupted in the Middle East in early 2026, those events faced immediate travel disruption. About 10% of Informa's B2B Live Events sit in that region. Proactive Investors
The company said growth is now returning in markets "directly affected by war in the Middle East." To manage the disruption, Informa is rescheduling more than 15 event brands into 2026 and deferring some new launches to 2027. Management called the situation "well managed" and said the moves will create a loaded schedule next year, likely pushing growth even higher into 2027. ADVFN
B2B Live Events Lead Growth Across Regions and Sectors
Informa's B2B Live Events division — its largest business — grew 7.6% in the first five months of the year. Strong performance came from the Americas, Greater China, ASEAN, Europe and IMEA (India, Middle East and Africa). Sectors driving that growth include healthcare, food, beauty, finance and gaming. TipRanks
One standout move is Informa's push into gaming. The company is repositioning its Game Developers Conference brand and plans to launch "Kingdom of Gaming" in Saudi Arabia in December 2026. The event targets 20,000 guests, 300 exhibitors and 500 studios. It is a joint venture through Tahaluf, a partnership with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones. AskTraders
Taylor & Francis Grows 5.5% as Open Research Strategy Takes Hold
Informa's academic publishing arm, Taylor & Francis, posted 5.5% underlying revenue growth. The unit is shifting away from traditional subscriptions toward Open Research — a model where authors pay to make their papers freely available online. Growth in digital subscriptions and advanced learning products also helped. TipRanks
Some analysts flag that artificial intelligence could threaten traditional academic publishing over the long term. For now, though, the numbers show the transition is working. Open Research and AI-driven data licensing are offsetting pressure on older subscription revenue streams. Yahoo Finance
Eurobond and Share Buyback Underpin the Four-Year Strategy
Informa is running a four-year plan called "One Informa," which runs from 2025 to 2028. The goal is to build a single, technology-driven B2B growth platform across three units: Informa Markets, Informa Connect and Informa Festivals. The company also acquired Ascential — bringing in brands like Cannes Lions and Money20/20 — for £1.2bn in late 2024. Proactive Investors
To fund the strategy, Informa issued a €500m Eurobond that was heavily oversubscribed, extending the company's debt maturities. It is also running a £250m share buyback. Analysts at Panmure Liberum noted that Informa's early visibility into H1 2027 — with $600m already secured — is "unusual" and signals high confidence in its recovery. Yahoo Finance
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