February 29, 2024
London Stock Exchange Group plc Preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2023
Continued strong performance: accelerating growth, significant strategic progress, substantial returns to shareholders
David Schwimmer, CEO said:
“2023 was another strong year for LSEG. We continued our track record of broad-based growth, despite an uncertain environment, and delivered on all the targets we set at the time of the Refinitiv acquisition. We also significantly improved our products and services, further strengthened our leadership team and made great progress on creating a high-performance culture throughout the organisation.
“We continue to build the foundations for sustained, profitable growth across all of our businesses. In Data & Analytics, customers will shortly be using the first products from our partnership with Microsoft: together, we will transform how financial markets participants communicate, research, analyse data and trade. In Capital Markets, we are collaborating more extensively with Tradeweb, creating new avenues for growth. We are also seeing an encouraging IPO pipeline for the London Stock Exchange. Our Post Trade business is in the early phase of its next stage of growth, helping financial institutions manage risk and improve capital efficiency across the whole trading book.
“We look forward to further progress in 2024. Our model – global, multi-asset class, and operating across the entire trade lifecycle – is proven to thrive regardless of market conditions, and we will continue to invest to deliver the best possible services for our customers and returns for our shareholders.”
| Reported | 2023 £m |
2022 £m |
Variance % |
Constant currency variance % |
Organic constant currency variance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Income (excl. recoveries) | 8,009 | 7,428 | 7.8% | 8.3% | 7.1% |
| Recoveries | 370 | 315 | 17.5% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Total Income (incl. recoveries) | 8,379 | 7,743 | 8.2% | 8.1% | 6.9% |
| Reported | 2023 £m |
2022 £m |
Variance % |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Profit | 1,371 | 1,417 | (3.2%) | ||
| Profit Before Tax | 1,195 | 1,241 | (3.7%) | ||
| Basic Earnings per Share (p) | 138.9 | 141.8 | (2.0%) | ||
| Dividends per Share (p) | 115.0 | 107.0 | 7.5% |
| Adjusted | 2023 £m |
2022 £m |
Variance % |
Constant currency variance % |
Organic constant currency variance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBITDA | 3,777 | 3,550 | 6.4% | 8.6% | 8.8% |
| EBITDA Margin | 47.2% | 47.8% | |||
| Operating Profit | 2,862 | 2,728 | 4.9% | 7.9% | 8.4% |
| Earnings per Share (p) | 323.9 | 317.8 | 1.9% |
Financial highlights
(all growth rates are expressed on a constant currency basis, unless otherwise stated)
- Total income (excl. recoveries) up 8.3%; up 7.7% excluding the Acadia acquisition, towards the upper end of 6%-8% guidance range
- Broad-based growth: Data & Analytics +7.3%, Capital Markets +6.1%, Post Trade +17.4%
- Good profitability: adjusted EBITDA up 8.6%. Excluding impact of FX-related items, EBITDA margin of 47.7%, consistent with guidance
- Adjusted operating profit: up 7.9% reflecting strong EBITDA growth slightly offset by faster recognition of depreciation
- Continued adjusted earnings growth: adjusted EPS +1.9% to 323.9 pence; basic EPS -2.0% (both at actual FX rates)
- Highly cash generative: £1.8 billion equity free cash flow, 100% cash conversion
Strategic progress and outlook
- Successful integration and accelerated performance of Refinitiv: 2021-2023 organic total income (excl. recoveries) CAGR of 6.5%1 at the upper end of acquisition targets
- Medium-term guidance set out at the Capital Markets Day further raises growth aspiration: targeting mid-to-high single digit organic growth annually, accelerating after 2024
- Attractive acquisitions: Acadia reinforces our leading position in Post Trade Solutions; acquired full ownership of LCH SA; increased ownership of LCH Group
- Good progress on Microsoft partnership: first products expected in H1 2024, embedding AI technologies and revolutionising industry workflows
- Significant shareholder returns: final dividend +5.3%, taking full year payout to 115 pence; £1.2 billion returned via buybacks in 2023; plan to execute up to £1 billion of buybacks in 2024, with intention to acquire this directly from the Blackstone/Thomson Reuters consortium
This release contains revenues, costs and earnings on a continuing basis, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for the twelve months ended 31 December 2023. FY 2023 is compared against FY 2022 on a statutory basis. Constant currency variances are calculated on the basis of consistent FX rates applied across the current and prior year period. Organic growth is calculated on a constant currency basis, adjusting the results to remove disposals from the entirety of the current and prior year periods, and by including acquisitions from the date of acquisition with a comparable adjustment to the prior year. Within the financial information and tables presented, certain columns and rows may not add due to the use of rounded numbers for disclosure purposes.
1 Organic, constant currency income (excl. recoveries) growth, excluding deferred revenue accounting adjustment in 2021 and 2022, and the impact of Ukraine/ Russia war in 2022
Contacts
London Stock Exchange Group plc
Investor relations:
Peregrine Riviere / Chris Turner
ir@lseg.com
Media:
Lucie Holloway / Rhiannon Davies
+44 (0)20 7797 1222
newsroom@lseg.com
Additional information can be found at www.lseg.com
Preliminary results investor and analyst presentation, webcast and conference call
The Group will host a presentation and conference call on its Preliminary Results for analysts and institutional shareholders today at 10:00am (UK time) at its offices at 10 Paternoster Square, London EC4M 7LS. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the presentation for attendees and those dialling in to the conference call.
To access the conference call or webcast please register in advance using the following link and instructions below:
Conference call: https://www.registrations.events/direct/LON95410
Webcast: https://www.lsegissuerservices.com/spark/LondonStockExchangeGroup/events/9ed3534d-ddb8-4bbe-bda5-c561dcbad4ec
Presentation slides can be viewed at http://www.lseg.com/investor-relations
The information in the preliminary announcement of the results for the year ended 31 December 2023 was approved by the Board of Directors on 28 February 2024 and does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in Section 435 of the UK Companies Act 2006. The financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 were filed with the Registrar of Companies, and the audit report was unqualified and contained no statements in respect of Sections 498 (2) and 498 (3) of the UK Companies Act 2006. The financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 will be filed with the Registrar of Companies in due course.
In accordance with the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority, these preliminary results have been agreed with the Company’s auditors, Ernst &Young LLP, who issued an unqualified audit opinion on 28 February 2024 on the Group’s Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023.
The preliminary results have been prepared on a basis consistent with the accounting policies set out in the Group’s Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023.
About LSEG
LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) is a leading global financial markets infrastructure and data provider, playing a vital social and economic role in the world’s financial system.
With our open approach, trusted expertise and global scale, we enable the sustainable growth and stability of our customers and their communities. We are dedicated partners with extensive experience, deep knowledge and a worldwide presence in data and analytics; indices; capital formation; and trade execution, clearing and risk management across multiple asset classes.
LSEG is headquartered in the United Kingdom, with significant operations in over 60 countries across EMEA, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. We employ 25,000 people globally, more than half located in Asia Pacific. LSEG’s ticker symbol is LSEG.
