Latest news with #Next15
Reuters
27-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK marketing firm Next 15 in talks to sell select brands, shares rise
June 27 (Reuters) - Embattled consultancy and marketing group Next 15 (NFGN.L), opens new tab said on Friday it is in early discussions regarding a potential sale of some of its brands, capping a tumultuous week in which it warned about its profit and disclosed issues at a unit. The British company, whose brands include elvis, Outcast and Shopper Media Group, did not name the businesses it was contemplating selling or the parties it may be in talks with. Next 15 sold its private equity consultancy, Palladium, earlier this month as part of its ongoing efforts to streamline operations. Its shares jumped as much as 14.7% to 238.5 pence, their biggest intra-day gain since October 2022, after the group confirmed a Sky News report that Next 15 was in talks about a sale of "legacy" assets, including financial PR agency MHP. The stock took a dive on Thursday after the company warned that its fiscal 2026 profit would likely fall materially below the market view. Next 15 also named a new CEO to succeed Tim Dyson following his retirement. The company on Wednesday disclosed a "potential serious misconduct" at its U.S.-based venture-building firm, Mach49, which it bought in 2020. Since cutting its profit forecast in September and including Thursday's losses, the group has shed roughly three quarters of its value. Next 15's market capitalisation stood at about 209 million pounds ($286.87 million) as of Thursday's close of 208 pence per share, far from its peak of 1,476 pence in 2022. ($1 = 0.7285 pounds)
Business Wire
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Statement re Press Speculation
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO, OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU NO. 596/2014) AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018. Next 15 Group plc ("Next 15" or the "Group") Statement re Press Speculation The Board of Next 15, the tech and data-driven growth consultancy, notes the recent media speculation regarding a potential disposal of a selected number of its brands. As stated in the Group's reporting over the past year, Next 15 has sought to simplify and strengthen the business. The Group also continually appraises performance and actively considers options to accelerate value creation across the Group's business units as well as enhancing the delivery of the Group's commercial and strategic objectives. As such, the Group confirms it is in early-stage discussions regarding a potential sale of a selected number of its brands. The Board's primary focus is maximising shareholder value. At this time, there can be no certainty that any agreement will be reached, nor as to the terms of any such agreement, including if sufficient value is not realised. Further updates will be provided as appropriate. The person responsible for making this announcement on behalf of Next 15 is Mark Sanford, Company Secretary. Enquiries: Next 15 Group plc Mickey Kalifa, Chief Financial Officer +44 (0)7584 236 999 Deutsche Numis (Financial adviser, Nomad & Joint Broker) Mark Lander Hugo Rubinstein George De Felice + 44 (0)20 7260 1000 Berenberg (Joint Broker) Ben Wright Mark Whitmore +44 (0)20 3207 7800 Brunswick – for media enquiries Paul Durman Bridie Barrett Imran Jina MHP Group – for investor enquiries Oliver Hughes Eleni Menikou Veronica Farah +44 (0)7793 522824 +44 (0)7443 881428 +44 (0)7587 037076 +44 (0)7885 224532 +44 (0)7701 308818 Expand
Sky News
27-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Crisis-hit marketing group Next 15 approached about £200m break-up
A London-listed marketing conglomerate which sacked three of its top executives this week has been approached about a £200m break-up. Sky News has learnt that Next 15 has been holding talks about a sale of its "legacy" assets, which include the financial public relations agency MHP, with an unnamed bidder. That would leave the rump of the business focused on technology and data-driven client businesses. One industry source said the prospective buyer was believed to be a private equity firm. Next 15 issued a profit warning and changed its leadership this week as it disclosed "potential serious misconduct" related to Mach49, a Silicon Valley advisory business it owns. "As a consequence, Next 15 has terminated the employment of three members of the senior management at Mach49 - Linda Yates, Russ Lampert and Paul Holland. David Charpie, currently co-CEO of Mach49, will become sole CEO with immediate effect," it said in a stock exchange statement on Wednesday. "Next 15, on behalf of Mach49, is in the process of reporting the matters to relevant law enforcement agencies. "It is too early to know the outcome, but Next 15 will ensure that full co-operation is provided to those agencies." The company, which has a market value of about £210m after seeing its stock slump by nearly 75% over the last year. It also announced this week that Tim Dyson, its chief executive for over three decades, would retire and be replaced by Sam Knights, the boss of Shopper Media Group, a subsidiary of Next 15. A person close to Next 15 insisted that any potential break-up would reflect the "simplification strategy" to which it had publicly alluded. Next 15 declined to comment on the approach for some of its assets, which are also thought to include the creative agency Elvis and Outcast, another PR firm.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Crisis-hit marketing group Next 15 approached about £200m break-up
A London-listed marketing conglomerate which sacked three of its top executives this week has been approached about a £200m break-up. Sky News has learnt that Next 15 has been holding talks about a sale of its "legacy" assets, which include the financial public relations agency MHP, with an unnamed bidder. That would leave the rump of the business focused on technology and data-driven client businesses. One industry source said the prospective buyer was believed to be a private equity firm. Next 15 issued a profit warning and changed its leadership this week as it disclosed "potential serious misconduct" related to Mach49, a Silicon Valley advisory business it owns. "As a consequence, Next 15 has terminated the employment of three members of the senior management at Mach49 - Linda Yates, Russ Lampert and Paul Holland. David Charpie, currently co-CEO of Mach49, will become sole CEO with immediate effect," it said in a stock exchange statement on Wednesday. "Next 15, on behalf of Mach49, is in the process of reporting the matters to relevant law enforcement agencies. "It is too early to know the outcome, but Next 15 will ensure that full co-operation is provided to those agencies." The company, which has a market value of about £210m after seeing its stock slump by nearly 75% over the last year. It also announced this week that Tim Dyson, its chief executive for over three decades, would retire and be replaced by Sam Knights, the boss of Shopper Media Group, a subsidiary of Next 15. A person close to Next 15 insisted that any potential break-up would reflect the "simplification strategy" to which it had publicly alluded. Next 15 declined to comment on the approach for some of its assets, which are also thought to include the creative agency Elvis and Outcast, another PR firm.
Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Next 15 sacks three executives over potential misconduct at Mach49
A marketing company quoted on London's junior Aim market has warned on profits and said that its chief executive would step down after uncovering 'potential serious misconduct' relating to a company that it previously acquired. The potential misconduct was discovered by Next 15 after a review of a big contract for Mach49, an advisory company based in Silicon Valley, which was cancelled early in September. The loss of part of the contract lowered the earnout for the sellers of the business, which was based on how profitable the agency was between 2020, when it was acquired, and January 2025. Next 15 said it expected 'a lower conversion of opportunities within this brand's pipeline' after uncovering the potential issues, which together with a weakening in the dollar, meant that adjusted operating profit for the current financial year would be 'materially below' market expectations of £80.5 million. The company generates about half of its revenue in dollars. Three members of Mach49's senior management team have been sacked, including Linda Yates, Mach49's founder and chief executive, and no further payments will be made to Yates, the company said. Next 15 said it was in the process of reporting the matters to relevant law enforcement agencies and would 'ensure that full co-operation is provided to those agencies'. Tim Dyson, the company's chief executive of more than 30 years, will retire from the business and be replaced by Sam Knights, who is the boss of Shopper Media Group, a marketing company owned by Next 15. Dyson's exit came on the same day as the company's annual meeting, which meant a resolution for his re-election as a director was withdrawn. The $400 million contract, which was announced 18 months after Next 15 acquired the company in 2020, was cancelled at the end of last year and not in 2026, as had been expected previously. Winning the contract had increased the earnout due to the owners of Mach49 by £107 million, according to Next 15's 2022 full-year results, which pushed the company to a £80.1 million pre-tax loss that year. The shares, which have fallen 76 per cent over the past 12 months, were down 77p, or 27 per cent, to 212p in afternoon trading. Next 15 is best known in the City as the owner of MHP Group, which handles the financial communications for dozens of companies listed on the stock market, including its parent. It also owns other consultancies, advising clients on everything from marketing to technology to communications. Next 15's agencies have worked with some of the world's best-known brands and companies, including Apple, BAE Systems and Pepsi.
