Future plc (FUTR.L)
A digital publisher running hundreds of specialist magazines and websites, from technology to gaming.
Is Future plc a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: A digital publisher running hundreds of specialist magazines and websites, from technology to gaming.
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.
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.
strong niche communities create resilient subscription models
permanent loss of audience to social media platforms
What does Future plc do?
This media group makes its money by combining online advertising, e-commerce referral fees, and magazine subscriptions across a massive portfolio of hobbyist and interest brands. Recent headlines show falling revenues and shrinking earnings, meaning the business has had to work hard to steady its ship as readers shift online and ad markets fluctuate. Keep a close eye on whether visitor numbers to their websites can stabilise, as that traffic is the engine room of their digital income.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 5.6% a year
- !Revenue slipped about 8% over the year
- ·Low P/E of 8 vs last year's earnings
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- Value screens high (91/100)
- Income screens high (74/100)
- Owns a well-known stable of trusted hobbyist brands
- Generates multiple streams of income including ads and affiliate fees
- Trades at low valuation multiples compared to historical levels
- Growth screens low (6/100)
- Momentum screens low (8/100)
- Search engine algorithm updates could abruptly reduce website visitor numbers
- Continued pressure on corporate ad spend could squeeze profits further
- Print magazine readership is in structural long-term decline
What do Future plc's numbers mean?
Does Future plc pay a dividend?
Yes - Future plc currently pays a dividend of about 5.6% 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.
When does Future plc report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Future plc is next scheduled to report on about 2026-12-02 - 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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Verizon Communications Inc.What are the scenarios for Future plc?
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 Future plc?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Owns a well-known stable of trusted hobbyist brands
- Generates multiple streams of income including ads and affiliate fees
- Trades at low valuation multiples compared to historical levels
- Provides a notably high dividend payout on paper
- Revenues and earnings have both seen sharp double-digit drops
- Highly sensitive to fluctuations in online advertising budgets
- Faces intense competition for attention from free social media content
- Significant recent share price drop indicates ongoing market caution
- Search engine algorithm updates could abruptly reduce website visitor numbers
- Continued pressure on corporate ad spend could squeeze profits further
- Print magazine readership is in structural long-term decline
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained return to positive year-on-year revenue growth
- Stabilisation and subsequent improvement in profit margins
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.