20 May 2026
If you are covering Experian's latest results, please see the following comment from Matt Dorset, equity research analyst at Quilter Cheviot:
Experian reported full-year results this morning, with a solid set of numbers and continued momentum. Total revenue growth was 13%, largely organically driven, with 8% organic growth in line with consensus and Q4 slightly stronger at 9%. Adjusted for currency movements, earnings per share increased by 13%, helped by stronger profit margins than expected and early AI-related productivity gains.
Growth was broad-based across both Consumer Services and B2B. Experian now has more than 215 million free consumer members, while the B2B business also delivered strong performance. All regions recorded organic revenue growth, led by North America at 10%, although the UK remains a relative laggard with growth of just 2%.
Looking ahead to 2027, management is guiding to organic revenue growth of 6–8%, alongside margin expansion of around 50bps. That sits at the top end of the group’s usual 30–50bps range and is broadly in line with market expectations.
The group also announced a new $1bn share buyback, equivalent to around 4% of market capitalisation. Combined with a dividend yield of around 2%, this implies an attractive total shareholder return of roughly 6%.
On valuation, Experian now trades on around 18x next-twelve-month earnings, well below its 10-year average following a derating linked to AI disruption concerns. While those fears are unlikely to disappear quickly, we expect management to push back on some of that narrative.
