Trading Statement

Smiths News

29/01/2026 07:00

RNS Number : 7995Q

Smiths News PLC

29 January 2026

 

29 January 2026

Smiths News PLC

("Smiths News" or the "Company")

 

Trading Update

 

Smiths News, (LSE: SNWS), the UK's largest news wholesaler and a leading provider of early morning end-to-end supply chain solutions, today provides shareholders with an update on trading ahead of its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") taking place this morning.

 

The Board confirms that trading for the year ending 29 August 2026 ("FY2026") remains in line with market expectations1.

 

The Company's strategy of maintaining shareholder returns alongside the development of additional revenue streams that leverage the Company's existing capabilities and networks remains on track. 

 

Accordingly, Smiths News confirms that, subject to shareholder approval at the AGM later today, it will pay a final dividend for FY2025 of 3.8p and a special dividend of 3.0p to shareholders on 5 February 2026, bringing the total for FY2025 to 8.55p per ordinary share held.

 

Jon Bunting, Chief Executive Officer of Smiths News, commented:

 

"Smiths News has performed strongly since the start of the year, and I am pleased to report that we are on track to meet market expectations.

 

"We continue to make progress in broadening our market reach, whilst ensuring we maintain our best class service across our newspaper and magazine activities.

 

"I look forward to providing a further update to shareholders at the half year results in May."

 

 

1 Company compiled analyst consensus can be found on the Smiths News website: Analyst Consensus

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Smiths News PLC
Jonathan Bunting, Chief Executive Officer
George Cooper, Interim Chief Financial Officer
www.smithsnews.co.uk
via Vigo Consulting
Vigo Consulting
Jeremy Garcia / Fiona Hetherington / Anna Sutton
smithsnews@vigoconsulting.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7390 0230

 

About Smiths News

Smiths News is the UK's largest news wholesaler and leading provider of early morning, end-to-end supply chain solutions. Smiths News has been delivering newspapers to retailers across the UK for over 200 years on behalf of the major national and regional publishers. Today, Smiths News delivers to over 22,000 customers across England and Wales on a daily basis.

 

Smiths News's service capability now extends into a number of new verticals that build on its expertise in warehousing, reverse logistics and early morning final mile services, across its extensive high-density UK delivery network, including a waste recycling collection service, the delivery of additional categories such as books and home entertainment, and extending our services in the final mile.

 

The speed of turnaround and the density of Smiths News' coverage is critical to one of the world's fastest physical supply chains and we remain focused on continuing to deliver best in class service to the news and magazines market, whilst exploring opportunities for growth based on this strong foundation.

 

For more information, please visit: www.smithsnews.co.uk

 

 

Person responsible for arranging release of this announcement:

Stuart Marriner, General Counsel & Company Secretary

Smiths News plc, Rowan House, Cherry Orchard North, Kembrey Park, Swindon SN2 8UH

Email: cosec@smithsnews.co.uk 

 

 

 

 

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 or visit 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.

 
  END

 

 
TSTAKFBBOBKDFDB