Overview
- The company said on Friday that full-year revenue is expected to be about £3.8 billion, roughly 5% higher than a year earlier.
- SSP reaffirmed full-year earnings per share of around 14p, up about 18%, but cut expected operating profit to roughly £230 million.
- Management now expects post-interest free cash flow near £70 million and has launched a further £50 million share buyback to return cash to investors.
- Regional trading diverged in the fourth quarter with UK & Ireland like-for-like sales up 9%, North America +2%, Continental Europe +3% and APAC & EEME +1%, and the group said passenger declines around Middle East travel hubs drove weakness in parts of Asia Pacific and the eastern Mediterranean.
- The board says its Focus26 efficiency plan is improving performance in Continental Europe and that FY26 results will be published on 8 December, while the update pushed SSP shares lower by about 3–5% in early trading.