- Group organic revenue growth of 9.9% (2010: 5.3%), including 12.0% in fourth quarter
- Group underlying operating margin of 17.4% (2010: 16.1%)
- Strong performances from digital, faster-growing regions and North America
- Record-equalling year in net new business, with $2.7 billion in billings (2010: $2.0 billion)
- Aegis now a unique, scaled media and digital communications specialist, following sale of Synovate for enterprise value of £525m
- Continued focus on acquisitions, with around £75m spent in initial consideration on 18 bolt-on acquisitions and investments in 2011
- Appointment as global strategic media partner by General Motors Co. (“GM”) in January 2012, with anticipated annual global media spend of $3 billion
- Proposed total dividend (excluding special dividend) increased to 3.20p, from 2.75p in 2010, including proposed final dividend of 2.01p
- Expect to deliver continued sector-leading organic revenue growth and further improvement in underlying operating profit in 2012
| Retained Group £m | 2011 | 2010 | Change % |
Constant currency % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group* revenue | 1,135.0 | 941.0 | 20.6 | 19.6 |
| Group underlying results** | ||||
| – operating profit | 197.4 | 151.1 | 30.6 | 29.4 |
| – pre-tax profit | 161.8 | 122.3 | 32.3 | 30.7 |
| – diluted eps | 10.1p | 7.8p | 29.5 | 27.8 |
| – diluted eps (pro forma)*** | 10.7p | 8.6p | 24.4 | 23.0 |
| Group statutory results | ||||
| – operating profit | 145.8 | 65.9 | 121.2 | 118.9 |
| – pre-tax profit | 106.4 | 33.5 | 217.6 | 211.7 |
| – diluted eps | 6.5p | 1.6p | 306.3 | 306.3 |
| Total dividend per share (including special dividend)‡† |
20.28p | 2.75p | n/a | n/a |
| Total dividend per share (including special dividend)† |
3.20p | 2.75p | n/a | n/a |
- *
- All references to Group in the Business and Financial reviews in this report relate to the Retained Group, which comprises Aegis Media, Aztec and the Corporate centre
- **
- Throughout this commentary, results are stated on an underlying basis unless otherwise indicated. Percentage movements are given at reported exchange rates unless otherwise stated
- ***
- Incorporates a full year’s impact on the diluted number of shares in issue of the share consolidation conducted in the fourth quarter of 2011
- ‡
- Total dividend includes interim and special dividend adjusted for the share consolidation for 2011
- †
- 2010 dividend per share is based on a pre-consolidation share count, so is not directly comparable to 2011 dividend per share.