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LIVE · 10:08 UTC
RCH$58.0060

Reach PLC

Consumer PublishingVerified
Score breakdown
Profitability+9Sentiment+18Risk penalty-3Missing signals-1
Quality breakdown
Key fields100Profile38Conclusion98AI synthesis40Observations23

Reach PLC's capital structure is characterized by a high price-to-book ratio of 35.09, indicating that the market values the company significantly above its book value. The company's liquidity position is constrained, with cash and equivalents amounting to only £6.1 million, while its operating cash flow stands at £22 million. However, the company's free cash flow is negative at -£149.4 million, suggesting that capital expenditures and operational costs are outpacing cash inflows [doc:HA-latest]. In terms of profitability, Reach PLC is underperforming relative to industry standards. The company reported a net loss of £132.3 million and an operating loss of £160.9 million, with a return on equity of -25.14% and a return on assets of -13.94%. These figures indicate a significant decline in profitability and efficiency compared to the industry's preferred metrics [doc:HA-latest]. The company's revenue is distributed across a broad portfolio of 120 brands, including national titles and local publications. However, the financial data does not provide a breakdown of revenue by segment or geography, making it difficult to assess the concentration of revenue sources. The company's exposure to the UK and Ireland is evident, but the extent of international revenue is not specified [doc:HA-latest]. The company's growth trajectory appears to be challenged, with no clear indication of revenue growth in the current fiscal year. The operating income and net income are both negative, and the company's free cash flow is also negative. Analysts have provided a wide range of price targets, from £64 to £175, with a mean of £126 and a median of £139, suggesting a high degree of uncertainty about the company's future performance [doc:]. The risk assessment for Reach PLC highlights medium liquidity risk and low dilution risk. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is 0.13, indicating a relatively low level of leverage. However, the company's net cash position is negative after subtracting total debt, which could pose a challenge in maintaining liquidity. The risk of dilution is considered low, but the company's negative free cash flow and operating losses may necessitate future financing, which could lead to share dilution [doc:HA-latest]. Recent events and filings indicate that the company is under pressure to improve its financial performance. The company's operating losses and negative free cash flow suggest that it may need to implement cost-cutting measures or seek additional financing. The company's capital expenditures of £13.6 million may also be a point of focus for management to ensure that investments are generating sufficient returns [doc:HA-latest].

Profile
CompanyReach PLC
TickerRCH.L
SectorConsumer Cyclicals
BusinessCyclical Consumer Services
Industry groupCyclical Consumer Services
IndustryConsumer Publishing
AI analysis

Business. Reach PLC operates as a commercial news publisher in the United Kingdom and Ireland, generating revenue through online and print content delivery, as well as through digital platforms and media brands [doc:HA-latest].

Classification. Reach PLC is classified under the Consumer Cyclicals economic sector, specifically in the Cyclical Consumer Services business sector and the Consumer Publishing industry, with a classification confidence of 0.92 [doc:verified market data].

Reach PLC's capital structure is characterized by a high price-to-book ratio of 35.09, indicating that the market values the company significantly above its book value. The company's liquidity position is constrained, with cash and equivalents amounting to only £6.1 million, while its operating cash flow stands at £22 million. However, the company's free cash flow is negative at -£149.4 million, suggesting that capital expenditures and operational costs are outpacing cash inflows [doc:HA-latest]. In terms of profitability, Reach PLC is underperforming relative to industry standards. The company reported a net loss of £132.3 million and an operating loss of £160.9 million, with a return on equity of -25.14% and a return on assets of -13.94%. These figures indicate a significant decline in profitability and efficiency compared to the industry's preferred metrics [doc:HA-latest]. The company's revenue is distributed across a broad portfolio of 120 brands, including national titles and local publications. However, the financial data does not provide a breakdown of revenue by segment or geography, making it difficult to assess the concentration of revenue sources. The company's exposure to the UK and Ireland is evident, but the extent of international revenue is not specified [doc:HA-latest]. The company's growth trajectory appears to be challenged, with no clear indication of revenue growth in the current fiscal year. The operating income and net income are both negative, and the company's free cash flow is also negative. Analysts have provided a wide range of price targets, from £64 to £175, with a mean of £126 and a median of £139, suggesting a high degree of uncertainty about the company's future performance [doc:]. The risk assessment for Reach PLC highlights medium liquidity risk and low dilution risk. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is 0.13, indicating a relatively low level of leverage. However, the company's net cash position is negative after subtracting total debt, which could pose a challenge in maintaining liquidity. The risk of dilution is considered low, but the company's negative free cash flow and operating losses may necessitate future financing, which could lead to share dilution [doc:HA-latest]. Recent events and filings indicate that the company is under pressure to improve its financial performance. The company's operating losses and negative free cash flow suggest that it may need to implement cost-cutting measures or seek additional financing. The company's capital expenditures of £13.6 million may also be a point of focus for management to ensure that investments are generating sufficient returns [doc:HA-latest].
Key takeaways
  • Reach PLC is a commercial news publisher with a high price-to-book ratio, indicating a significant premium over book value.
  • The company is experiencing a decline in profitability, with a net loss and negative return on equity and assets.
  • The company's liquidity is constrained, with a negative free cash flow and limited cash reserves.
  • Analysts have provided a wide range of price targets, reflecting uncertainty about the company's future performance.
  • The company's risk assessment indicates medium liquidity risk and low dilution risk, but the negative free cash flow may necessitate future financing.
  • --
  • # RATIONALES
  • ```json
Financial snapshot
PeriodHA-latest
CurrencyGBP
Revenue$518.4M
Gross profit$218.2M
Operating income-$160.9M
Net income-$132.3M
R&D
SG&A
D&A
SBC
Operating cash flow$22.0M
CapEx-$13.6M
Free cash flow-$149.4M
Total assets$949.4M
Total liabilities$423.2M
Total equity$526.2M
Cash & equivalents$6.1M
Long-term debt$66.7M
Annual history (last 5)
PeriodRevenueOp IncomeNet IncomeFCF
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
PeriodGross %Op %Net %FCF %
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
PeriodAssetsEquityCashDebt
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
PeriodOCFCapExFCFSBC
FY0
FY-1
FY-2
FY-3
FY-4
Quarterly history (last 4)
PeriodRevenueOp IncomeNet IncomeFCF
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
PeriodGross %Op %Net %FCF %
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
PeriodAssetsEquityCashDebt
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
PeriodOCFCapExFCFSBC
FQ0
FQ-1
FQ-2
FQ-3
FQ-4
FQ-5
FQ-6
FQ-7
Valuation
Market price$58.00
Market cap$18.46B
Enterprise value$18.52B
P/E
Reported non-GAAP P/E
EV/Revenue35.7
EV/Op income
EV/OCF842.0
P/B35.1
P/Tangible book35.1
Tangible book$526.2M
Net cash-$60.6M
Current ratio0.7
Debt/Equity0.1
ROA-13.9%
ROE-25.1%
Cash conversion-17.0%
CapEx/Revenue-2.6%
SBC/Revenue
Asset intensity
Dilution ratio0.0%
Risk assessment
Dilution riskLow
Liquidity riskMedium
  • Net cash is negative after subtracting total debt.
Industry benchmarks
Activity: Consumer Publishing · cohort 1 companies
MetricRCHActivity
Op margin-31.0%15.3% medp25 15.3% · p75 15.3%bottom quartile
Net margin-25.5%12.2% medp25 12.2% · p75 12.2%bottom quartile
Gross margin42.1%47.3% medp25 35.5% · p75 67.2%below median
R&D / revenue9.4% medp25 9.4% · p75 9.4%
CapEx / revenue-2.6%1.2% medp25 1.2% · p75 1.2%bottom quartile
Debt / equity13.0%4.9% medp25 0.3% · p75 23.3%above median
Observations
IR observations
Mean price target126.00 GBP
Median price target139.00 GBP
High price target175.00 GBP
Low price target64.00 GBP
Mean recommendation2.00 (1=strong buy, 5=strong sell)
Strong-buy count1.00
Buy count1.00
Hold count1.00
Sell count0.00
Strong-sell count0.00
Mean EPS estimate0.23 GBP
Last actual EPS0.27 GBP
Source data
Underlying data the analysis-pipeline pulls and audits. Fetch timestamps + content hashes show when each source was last refreshed.
Company fundamentalsperiod FQ-7 · history via verified-market-data
no public URL
2026-05-04 17:00 UTC#6eaeec53
Market quoteclose GBP 58.00 · shares 0.32B diluted
no public URL
2026-05-04 17:00 UTC#95c43c92
Source: analysis-pipeline (hybrid)Generated: 2026-05-04 17:02 UTCJob: 65dd74a9