WPP reported third-quarter revenue of £3.27 billion, up 0.5% year-on-year, while revenue less pass-through costs fell 2.1% like-for-like to £2.41 billion. The company said results were in line with expectations, with underlying trends improving sequentially. It reiterated full-year guidance of a low to mid-single-digit decline in second-half LFL revenue less pass-through costs, with Q4 towards the better end, and a headline operating profit margin of 12% to 13%.
CEO Cindy Rose said WPP is on track to deliver the first phase of its Elevate28 plan, which focuses on stabilising performance and building a simpler, unified organisation. Strategy unfolds in three stages: Stabilise in 2026, Build in 2027 and Accelerate from 2028. WPP targets £250 million in gross run-rate savings by the end of 2026 and a return to organic growth in 2027.
By segment, WPP Media returned to growth at 0.3%, and WPP Production rose 2.5%, while WPP Creative declined 5.1%. All four regions fell, with North America down 1.8%, EMEA down 1.7%, APAC down 4.3% and LATAM down 1.2%. India bounced back with 2.9% growth, while China dropped 8.7%. Automotive grew 6.7% and Healthcare and Pharma 4.3%, but CPG, Tech and Retail slipped.
Client wins included the Coca-Cola media renewal, DoorDash, Waymo, Nestlé China and Godrej Consumer Products. WPP also expanded its Open Intelligence data partnerships to almost 400, acquired Limbik through Burson and opened its Devon’s Point production facility in East London.
