GlobalData shares traded at 65.4p on 2 November, some way above the level reached after September's Earnings warning, as the data and analytics group works through a change of finance chief and the end of its share buyback.

What happened

No new trading statement has appeared since half-year results on 14 September. The latest filing, on 2 November, was a routine notice showing 705,528,818 ordinary shares and voting rights as at 30 October, with none held in treasury.

The September results remain the main reference point. GlobalData warned that it would raise Investment to address slow Revenue growth, which it said would push full-year adjusted earnings below analyst expectations.

According to AJ Bell's report of the results, underlying full-year revenue growth was set to be weaker than expected, toward the low end of an analyst range of £325.3 million to £335.7 million. Adjusted EBITDA was expected to fall below the market forecast of £121.0 million to £126.7 million.

Two Capital and management items followed. Robert Kingston joined as chief financial officer and board member on 7 September, and Graham Lilley, who had held the role since January 2018, stepped down on 30 September. On 2 October the company confirmed completion of a buyback started on 23 June, which repurchased 6,702,016 shares for about £5 million, all being cancelled.

Why it matters for investors

GlobalData, ticker LSE:DATA, is a constituent of the FTSE All-Share index, and AJ Bell classifies it in the industrials sector. The Business sells data and analytics on a subscription-led basis, so the gap between reported and underlying growth matters.

In the six months to 30 June, revenue rose 4.1% to £162.9 million from £156.5 million, yet underlying revenue grew only 1%. Adjusted EBITDA rose 5.2% to £54.8 million, with the Margin at 34%, up from 33%. Contracted forward revenue was £163.3 million, up 4%, on the summary of the announcement. (LSE:DATA)

Pre-tax profit moved the other way, falling 6.1% to £23.2 million from £24.7 million. Finance costs doubled to £7.7 million from £3.8 million because of higher bank debt. The Interim Dividend was held at 0.3p.

For context, full-year 2025 revenue was £322.1 million and adjusted EBITDA was £110.2 million. Management also said medium-term margin recovery would be more cautious than previously stated, citing a challenging economic backdrop and longer sales cycles. Chief executive Mike Danson said the immediate priority was to "accelerate underlying revenue growth".

How the shares have performed

The shares fell about 21% to 56.50p on 14 September, after dipping as low as 52.61p during that session. AJ Bell's page showed 65.4p on 2 November, up 1.00p, or 1.55%, on a previous close of 64.40p. That is about 16% above the 56.50p level on this newsdesk's calculation.

Even so, the year high of 126.00p is nearly twice the current price. The page shows a year low of 52.607p and a Dividend Yield of 2.33%. Buyback purchases on the final day, 1 October, were at a volume-weighted average of 59.4379p.

What to watch next

The key question is whether the extra investment lifts underlying growth, and how quickly. Evidence is likely to come from contracted forward revenue and sales cycle commentary rather than from headline revenue, which includes the benefit of acquisitions such as Cambridge Healthcare.

Debt is a related issue, given the jump in finance costs. Investors will also be watching for the first statements from the new finance chief, and for whether the board revisits capital returns now the £5 million programme has ended; the half-year summary referred to £19 million returned through buybacks.

The company indicated that full-year margins should be in line with the first half, which gives a straightforward marker for its next update. No date for that update appeared in the sources retrieved for this report.