REG - AO World plc - Full Year Post-Close Trading Update for FY26

AO WorldAnnouncement

Yesterday 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
https://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20260410:nRSJ8824Za&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 8824Z  AO World plc  10 April 2026

10 April 2026

AO WORLD PLC

Full Year Post-Close Trading Update for FY26

 

STRONG REVENUE GROWTH AND PROFIT AT THE TOP OF PREVIOUS UPGRADE

 

AO World plc ("the Group" or "AO"), the UK's most trusted electricals
retailer, today issues the following update for the 12 months to 31 March
2026.

 

Total Group revenue growth expected to be c. 11%. B2C growth expected to be c.
9.5% underpinned by market share(1) gains across all key categories.

 

Adjusted profit before tax(2) is expected to be in line with previously
upgraded guidance; at the top end of £45-£50m. Demonstrating again that
profits are growing quicker than sales, in the region of c15% year-on-year
adjusted PBT growth, despite material cost headwinds.

 

The Group had hedging arrangements in place in advance of recent geopolitical
developments, covering approximately 80% of forecast fuel usage and 100% of
electricity usage which cover the full FY27 trading period.

 

At the period end we expect to have c. £200m of liquidity. Profit is
converting to cash, with free cash flow of c.£65m (FY25 £23m) for FY26.

 

AO's Founder and Chief Executive John Roberts said:

 

"The numbers speak for themselves again and I am delighted to keep doing our
talking on the pitch.

 

"Our shared economics strategy and membership model, built on the foundations
of brilliant retail basics, continues to deliver results. We continue to build
momentum and all key metrics continue to improve, with an exciting pipeline of
new initiatives ahead.

 

"In the coming weeks, AO will become the first company globally to reach one
million Trustpilot reviews with a 4.9 rating from customers. Having founded AO
26 years ago in a small office with three people and a dream, I am incredibly
proud to have reached this milestone, which is a testament to the entire team.
To achieve that in a logistically difficult category highlights the structural
advantage we have been building with world class quality at scale. This
underpins our reputation as the UK's most trusted electrical retailer and the
value of it sits on our balance sheet at zero.

 

"I'd like to thank every AOer and every trading partner that has made it
possible by embracing our relentless obsession with customers. In line with
our values, my gran is delighted and I hope my mum is proud!"

 

AO expects to publish its Full Year Results to 31 March 2026 on 17 June 2026.

 

 Enquiries
 AO World plc

 John Roberts, Founder and Chief Executive                         IR@AO.com (mailto:IR@AO.com)
 Mark Higgins, Group CFO & COO

 Sodali & Co                                                       Tel: +44 (0)20 7250 1446

                                                                   ao@sodali.com (mailto:ao@sodali.com)

 Rob Greening

 

(1) Market share data from Gfk, for the 11 months to 28 February 2026. AO's
value is from company data, net value.

 

(2) Adjusted PBT is defined as a profit/(loss) before tax, adjusted for any
non-recurring items as defined by the Board. Specifically, in FY25 this
included two adjusting items, firstly the expenses surrounding the acquisition
of Music Magpie of £3.3m. Secondly the impairment charge, in relation to our
post pay mobile business, of £19.5m of goodwill and intangibles which were
held on the balance sheet. There are no adjusting items in FY26.

 

 

 

 

 About AO

 AO World PLC, headquartered in Bolton and listed on the London Stock Exchange,
 is the UK's most trusted major electricals retailer, with a mission to be the
 destination for electricals. Our strategy is to create value by offering our
 customers brilliant customer service and making AO the destination for
 everything they need, in the simplest and easiest way, when buying
 electricals.  We offer major and small domestic appliances and a growing
 range of mobile phones, AV, consumer electricals and laptops. We also provide
 ancillary services such as the installation of new and collection of old
 products and offer product protection plans and customer finance. AO Business
 serves the B2B market in the UK, providing electricals and installation
 services at scale. AO also has a WEEE processing facility, ensuring customers'
 electronic waste is dealt with responsibly.

 Cautionary statement

 This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements (including
 beliefs or opinions) with respect to the operations, performance and financial
 condition of the Group. These statements are made in good faith and are based
 on current expectations or beliefs, as well as assumptions about future
 events. By their nature, future events and circumstances can cause results and
 developments to differ materially from those anticipated. Except as is
 required by the Listing Rules, Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and
 applicable laws, no undertaking is given to update the forward-looking
 statements contained in this document, whether as a result of new information,
 future events or otherwise. Nothing in this document should be construed as a
 profit forecast or an invitation to deal in the securities of the Company.
 This announcement has been prepared for the Group as a whole and therefore
 gives greater emphasis to those matters which are significant to AO World plc
 and its subsidiary undertakings when viewed as a whole.

 

 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  TSTBUGDSXDGDGLC



            Copyright 2019 Regulatory News Service, all rights reserved