Experian plc is a global technology firm that delivers services through two primary divisions: Business-to-Business and Consumer Services. For its business clients, ...
Experian plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a premier global data and technology powerhouse that operates at the intersection of financial inclusion and risk management. With roots dating back to a group of London merchants in 1826, the company has evolved into a multinational leader that provides critical decision-making insights. ...Experian plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a premier global data and technology powerhouse that operates at the intersection of financial inclusion and risk management. With roots dating back to a group of London merchants in 1826, the company has evolved into a multinational leader that provides critical decision-making insights. The company functions through two primary segments: Business-to-Business (B2B) and Consumer Services. In the B2B sphere, Experian delivers sophisticated data analytics, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance tools to a diverse clientele across sectors such as automotive, healthcare, retail, and financial services. By enabling businesses to automate operational workflows and optimize lending decisions, Experian plays a fundamental role in the global credit ecosystem. Its Consumer Services division focuses on individual financial health, offering tools that provide access to credit scores, financial literacy resources, and identity theft protection.
From a financial perspective, Experian maintains a robust profile with a market capitalization of over $32 billion and a stable global footprint across 33 countries. The firm’s financial strategy is underpinned by a high operating profit margin and a strong focus on data-driven innovation, investing roughly 6% of its revenue into research and development. Key leaders like CEO Brian J. Cassin guide the firm through a complex regulatory landscape, balancing data security with the imperative to foster financial accessibility. The cost structure reflects a service-oriented model, characterized by high investment in data infrastructure and proprietary technology. Unlike manufacturing firms, Experian does not maintain physical inventory, allowing for a unique operating cycle focused on data ingestion, processing, and delivery. With approximately 25,200 employees, the company continues to leverage its large-scale data assets to refine its service offerings. Experian’s long-term vision emphasizes expanding its role as a digital intermediary that empowers consumers while facilitating safer, more efficient capital allocation for institutional partners. By maintaining a balance between high-margin analytics and accessible consumer tools, Experian remains a critical pillar of the international financial services infrastructure, constantly adapting its technology stack to address emerging threats like digital fraud and the need for more inclusive credit-scoring models.
YoYYoY means Year-over-Year. It compares the latest annual value with the previous annual value to show long-term trend strength.
QoQQoQ means Quarter-over-Quarter. It compares the latest quarter with the immediately previous quarter to show short-term momentum changes.
RevenueThe total money that came through the front door from selling things, before paying a single bill. Think of it as the grand total of every credit card swipe from customers. (YoY compares this year to last year's performance, while QoQ compares the current three months to the previous three).
$8.5B
+12.6%
+7.2%
Net IncomeThe absolute bottom line. If the company paid every single supplier, employee, banker, and tax collector, this is the actual money left in their pocket at the end of the day.
$1.5B
+29.2%
+0.6%
Gross MarginThe basic markup. If they sell a $100 pair of sneakers, this percentage tells you how much of that price tag is profit right after paying for the rubber and shoelaces, but before paying for things like store rent or TV commercials.
+38.6%
-19.4%
+4.5%
Operating MarginThe 'day job' efficiency score. Out of every dollar a customer spends, this shows how many cents the company keeps after making the product AND paying for all the everyday corporate overhead (like salaries, marketing, and keeping the lights on).
+25.4%
+6.7%
+4.5%
Net MarginThe final take-home percentage. When you strip away every conceivable cost, tax, and interest payment, this is the exact number of cents the company truly gets to keep from every dollar in sales.
+17.8%
+14.8%
-6.2%
Free Cash FlowThe holy grail of corporate cash. It's the spendable, physical money left over after the business pays for its daily operations AND buys the big, expensive upgrades (like new factories or servers) it needs to survive. This is the 'free' money they can use to pay dividends or buy back stock.
$2.2B
+62.2%
+72.0%
FCF MarginThe ultimate cash conversion rate. It shows how good the company is at turning regular sales directly into cold, hard, spendable cash. A high percentage means the business is an absolute cash-printing machine.
+25.9%
+44.1%
+60.4%
Debt / EquityThe financial risk gauge. It compares how much of the company's empire was built using borrowed money (loans) versus the owners' own money (shareholders). A high number means they are heavily leveraged and playing a riskier game; a low number means they are playing it safe.
100.4%
+1.1%
-3.7%
Current RatioThe 12-month survival check. It simply compares the cash they have right now (plus things they can quickly turn into cash) against the immediate bills they absolutely must pay this year. A score above 1 means they have enough in the wallet to cover the upcoming bills without panicking.
0.85x
+19.8%
+25.6%
Total AssetsThe absolute size of the company's empire. It bundles together absolutely everything of value they own—from the cash in the register and the inventory in the warehouse, to the software patents in the vault and the factories on the ground.
Operator: Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Experian Preliminary Results for the Year Ended 31st March 2026 Webcast and Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your first speaker today, Mr. Brian Cassin, Chief Executive Officer. Please go ahead, sir.
Brian Cassin: Thank you very much. Hello, everybody, and welcome to our FY '26 results presentation. I'm joined by Lloyd, who will run through the financials after my initial overview, and then we'll open up for Q&A. FY '26 was a strong year for Experian, a record year, in fact, where we delivered on our Medium-Term Framework. We have many important client wins and renewals and we made really good strategic progress whilst remaining disciplined on capital. And that leaves us well positioned as we move into the new financial year. Financially, it was an excellent year. Organic revenue came in at the top of our range of expectations with margins ahead. And just as importantly, this is our second year of delivery against the Medium-Term Framework demonstrating consistent execution against our objectives. Organic revenue growth for the year was 8%, rising to 9% in Q4. Margins expanded by 60 basis points at constant currency, ahead of our 30 to 50 basis points guidance. Enhanced productivity was part of that alongside the growing scale of our product platforms. We also made substantial progress in our cloud migration, achieving the targets we set out for North America and Brazil. We now have a more agile organization, fully cloud native with more room to invest now that these dual run costs are largely behind us. All of this led to a 15% Benchmark EPS growth, which is a really strong result. We also delivered another year of really good cash generation with consistently high cash conversion. ROCE of 17.2% was up on last year on a larger capital base, illustrating the quality of returns in the business. And we're successfully combining investment in the business with shareholder returns. This is reflected in further dividend progress, and in today's announcement of an additional $1 billion share buyback, adding to the $1 billion buyback we announced in January. We continue to invest in new products, and that is fueling our growth, while our investments in verticals have supported some very strong share gains there. New products added $2 billion to revenue. This includes enhanced insights such as cash flow-based scores and broader adoption of the Ascend platform. Our Consumer Services membership expanded to now stand at over 215 million globally. This is a significant asset for us in a more fragmented landscape, the power of our brands and large installed high-intent audiences provide Experian with a very strong platform for growth. It was an important year in B2B for renewals and new wins with good sales momentum across the business. In North America, we secured 100% of the …
