Next 15 to end year in line with expectations

Digital marketing and communications group Next Fifteen Communications updated the market on Tuesday, ahead of its results for the year ending 31 January, saying it anticipated that they would be in line with the board's expectations.

The AIM-traded firm added that it expected to make further good progress in the year ahead.

It said it saw organic revenue growth in the second half of the financial year continue to outrun sector averages.

That was reportedly supplemented by the acquisitions made during the period including Activate, a digitally-driven demand generation consultancy, and Planning-Inc., a business that designs and builds data platforms for the marketing organisations of large brands.

The group also continued to invest in its transition to digital marketing products and services, and recently announced that it was merging its Bite and Text 100 businesses globally to create a new agency.

In addition, it said its collection of data businesses under the MIG brand would be reorganised in the coming months under one consistent brand to offer customers a “more tightly integrated” set of services in Europe and the US.

The group said its balance sheet remained strong, with net debt anticipated to be approximately £5m as at 31 January.

“The group continues to deliver above industry average organic growth,” said Next Fifteen chairman Richard Eyre.

“This is large part due to its focus on data and technology to reinforce its creative capabilities.

“With the geopolitical landscape remaining in flux, clients are looking for greater certainty from their marketing programs which our agencies and data businesses are proving able to provide.”

The company said it would announce its results for the year ending 31 January in early April.