WPP’s inventory rose greater than 26% within the early hours of buying and selling, after the corporate’s first-half earnings beat analysts’ estimates. 

The numbers

  • –5.6%: Yr-over-year decline in income much less pass-through prices for the primary half of 2026 to $6.39 billion (£4.75 billion), down 4.7% on a like-for-like foundation 
  • –2.3%: YOY decline in income much less pass-through prices for the second quarter to $3.34 billion (£2.48 billion), down 2.8% on a like-for-like foundation 
  • –8.4%: YOY decline in common headcount, from 106,000 within the first half of 2025 to 97,000 within the first half of this yr
  • –3.5%: Decline in WPP Inventive’s internet gross sales for Q2, versus a 6.3% decline in Q1
  • –2.8%: Decline in WPP Media’s Q2 internet gross sales, versus an 8.3% decline in Q1

Watercooler speak 

WPP is six months into its three-year turnaround plan, Elevate28, which is designed to stabilize the enterprise and return it to progress, whereas delivering annual price financial savings of $676 million (£500 million) by 2028. Chief government Cindy Rose is sort of one yr into her tenure.

“We’re on observe with the place we stated we’d be,” Rose stated on an earnings name with journalists on Thursday (Aug. 6). 

Rose stated WPP made progress on its 4 strategic aims, that are to ship progress for shoppers, grow to be an easier and extra built-in firm, unlock some great benefits of its agentic advertising and marketing platform WPP Open, and to “create agency monetary foundations for the longer term.”

Earlier this yr, WPP restructured into 4 enterprise items—WPP Media, WPP Inventive, WPP Manufacturing, and WPP Enterprise Options—throughout 4 key areas—North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC. For the primary time, its earnings report cut up its outcomes into these items.

On the brand new enterprise entrance, Rose cited “landmark wins” together with Estée Lauder, Jaguar Land Rover, Avon, Airbnb, Wendy’s, SC Johnson, and Heineken. WPP topped J.P. Morgan’s internet new enterprise rankings as primary for the primary half of 2026 and for the 9 months to Q2 2026.

WPP additionally “accomplished greater than 15 non-core asset disposals that can generate over £200 million [$269 million] of gross sales proceeds in 2026,” in response to Rose. The corporate stated it’s on observe to make $134.5 million (£100 million) in financial savings this yr.

Whereas WPP is reportedly planning to chop a whole bunch of jobs globally by the top of this yr, Rose declined to share particular numbers, aside from confirming that “some jobs might be impacted.”

Hostinger

“This isn’t nearly price financial savings per se. These actions will make us extra agile and easier to navigate, and that’s an vital a part of our new simplified working mannequin,” Rose stated.

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