Momentum for Reshaped Kantar

Kantar has announced unaudited results for the first quarter of calendar 2022, including pro forma, currency-adjusted gross revenue up 6% to $911m, and adjusted EBITDA of $144m, up 16% from a year earlier and almost twice the pre-Covid Q1 2019 figure.

Operating loss increased from $42m a year earlier to $60m, driven the firm says by events in Ukraine and the suspension of operations in Russia, as well as higher amortisation related to Numerator.

By business division, adjusted revenue was $511.2m at Insights, up 4%; $73m at Profiles, up 7%; $89.3m at Worldpanel, up 9%; $56.8m (up 19%) at Numerator; and $126.1m at Media, up 7%. Revenue at Public, included for the last time, fell 2% to $55.0m. The results reflect strong client demand for behavioural data (Worldpanel and Numerator), while the Insights division increase was driven by Brand Performance work, supported by investment in the firm's products and offer. Headcount rose by 3% year-on-year.

During the last two months the global group has agreed to acquire Copenhagen, Denmark-based marketing measurement and optimisation company Blackwood Seven and Reading, UK-based app survey platform and fraud prevention technology provider Qmee; while divesting its Kantar Public business to private equity firm Trilantic Europe.

Note that unadjusted, reported revenue was $789.0m, slightly down on Q1 2021: the figures given above reflect very significant adjustments for currency fluctuations, notably the strength of the dollar against the Euro and Pound Sterling; off-set only to a limited extent by the impact of acquisitions and disposals. The full report with explanations of these adjustments can be found here .

CEO Chris Jansen (pictured) says the firm 'carried 2021's momentum into the first quarter of 2022', flagging up the growth in all its core businesses. He comments: 'At times of wider uncertainty, clients recognise the role our expertise plays in supporting their tactical response to headwinds, as well as their longer-term growth ambitions... We remain firmly on the path to making Kantar a much more focused, agile business increasingly capable of delivering better, differentiated solutions for our clients'.

Group home page: www.kantar.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.