Story
Smiths News Lifts FY2026 Forecast on Strong Collectables and World Cup Sales
Summary
The UK news wholesaler announced it expects full-year results to beat market expectations, driven by a record contribution from the FIFA World Cup and robust demand for collectables, sending its shares higher.
Shares in Smiths News (LSE:SNWS) rose 3.5% on Tuesday after the UK's largest news wholesaler announced it expects to deliver results for fiscal year 2026 ahead of market expectations. The company pointed to stronger-than-anticipated trading in the second half of the year, which concluded on August 29.
Key Performance Drivers
Smiths News attributed the upgraded outlook to two main factors. The company reported robust demand for collectables during the second half of the fiscal year, which exceeded its initial forecasts.
Additionally, the business received a significant boost from the Men's FIFA World Cup, which generated a record contribution of over £3 million. Smiths News noted that major international football competitions, such as the World Cup and UEFA European Championships, typically enhance its performance in alternate years.
AdStrategic Expansion and Outlook
The company confirmed that trading has started positively for the new 2027 fiscal year. Looking ahead, Smiths News is embarking on a major transformation program to establish a national distribution footprint.
This expansion is designed to service significant new contract wins secured in H2 2026 with major publishers including News UK, Associated Newspapers, Frontline, and Seymour. CEO Jonathan Bunting described the new contracts as "significant milestones." The company is targeting the first go-live date for its expanded network in July 2027 and plans to provide further financial guidance on the project with its full-year results on November 4, 2026.
Read next
More on Stocks
Oura Delays Nasdaq IPO, Citing Unfavorable Market Conditions
The smart ring maker has postponed its initial public offering, blaming market uncertainty despite reporting strong user growth and profitability. The company has not provided a new timeline for its public debut.
Anthropic's IPO Filing Reveals $518 Billion AI Buildout Plan with Largely Non-Cancelable Contracts
A confidential IPO prospectus shows AI firm Anthropic has committed to spending at least $518 billion over the next decade on computing infrastructure, with approximately 80% of that sum locked into non-cancelable deals with tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
UPS Secures Exclusive Deal to Handle TikTok Shop's US Returns
United Parcel Service will exclusively manage no-box, no-label returns for TikTok Shop's U.S. sellers, a strategic move to capture more of the high-margin reverse logistics market amid intense competition.
Meta Expands Muse AI Agent to Small Businesses With Shopify, Stripe Integrations
Meta Platforms is rolling out its Muse AI agent to small businesses, integrating with key platforms like Shopify, QuickBooks, and Stripe in a move to diversify revenue beyond advertising.