FirstGroup plc (FGP.L)
FirstGroup runs iconic local buses and regional trains across the UK, collecting fares from millions of daily commuters.
Is FirstGroup plc a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Essential service provider with deep roots in UK transport. Worth weighing: Recent revenue and earnings growth are moving in reverse. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has FirstGroup plc actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, FirstGroup plc fell as much as −32% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Successful expansion into zero-emission fleet services.
High costs of green upgrades strain the balance sheet.
What does FirstGroup plc do?
Ever tapped your contactless card on a city bus or hopped on a regional train? That is where this transport giant collects its cash, alongside regular subsidies from government bodies to keep rural routes running. The critical detail to keep an eye on is how well passenger numbers hold up against rising running costs.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 3.9% a year
- !Revenue slipped about 14% over the year
- !Thin profits - turns only about 2% of sales into profit
- ·Low P/E of 9 vs last year's earnings
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 1.6x its equity
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 17%)
- Value screens high (80/100)
- Income screens high (74/100)
- Essential service provider with deep roots in UK transport
- Solid return on equity indicates efficient management of assets
- Respectable dividend yield for income-focused portfolios
- Growth screens low (18/100)
- Political shifts altering how local transport networks are funded
- Industrial action causing costly disruptions to daily services
- Slower-than-expected passenger recovery on certain key routes
What do FirstGroup plc's numbers mean?
Does FirstGroup plc pay a dividend?
Yes - FirstGroup plc currently pays a dividend of about 3.9% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about FirstGroup plc's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does FirstGroup plc report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
FirstGroup plc is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-12 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of FirstGroup plc?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential service provider with deep roots in UK transport
- Solid return on equity: How much profit the company makes for each £1 shareholders have put in. Higher usually means a more efficient business. indicates efficient management of assets
- Respectable dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone. for income-focused portfolios
- Recent revenue and earnings growth are moving in reverse
- Heavy reliance on government policy and public sector contracts
- Vulnerable to sudden spikes in fuel and labour costs
- Political shifts altering how local transport networks are funded
- Industrial action causing costly disruptions to daily services
- Slower-than-expected passenger recovery on certain key routes
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- Sudden loss of major regional bus or rail operating contracts
- A dramatic structural decline in daily commuter numbers
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.