For a company that thrives on bringing people together, Informa PLC (LSE:INF)has spent the past few years proving it can stand tall on its own.
The events and publishing group is due to post a ten-month trading update next week, and analysts at Panmure Liberum expect another encouraging set of numbers.
The firm’s business-to-business live events, trade shows and exhibitions, account for roughly three-quarters of revenue and continue to do the heavy lifting.
Growth of more than 8% this year should keep the group on course for around 6% overall revenue growth in 2025.
That’s not the double-digit bounce of the post-pandemic years, but it marks the first clean look at the company’s underlying momentum without any recovery distortions.
Academic publishing, the other big division, could spring a small surprise. Panmure flags the potential for more one-off contracts (and perhaps some recurring ones) which would feed nicely into profit given the high conversion of extra sales to earnings.
Informa’s pipeline for 2026 already looks healthy, with revenue visibility running at about £500 million above this year’s base.
The broker expects the forthcoming update to reinforce that picture, helping investors look past the noise of short-term macro worries.
Trade exhibitions, in particular, tend to hold up well when global uncertainty pushes buyers and sellers to seek new markets and partners face-to-face.
There’s also the Dubai World Trade Centre deal to watch for, which could be confirmed shortly. Panmure sees that as a growth accelerator, opening the door to a wider regional push.
Financially, the story remains one of steady improvement. Earnings per share are expected to rise 11% this year to 56p, while debt continues to fall and dividends grow by 10% annually.
At 970p, the shares trade on around 17 times 2025 earnings, a discount to peers such as RELX and Wolters Kluwer, which command mid-20s multiples. Panmure keeps its “buy” call and 1,200p target.
Informa may lack the glamour of the AI-fuelled tech crowd, but that is part of the appeal. Reliable growth, strong cashflow and little hype; in jittery markets, that combination looks distinctly modern.