London Stock Exchange Group Reports Record First Half Performance

The Tip Desk · July 30, 2026 · 2 min read

LSEG raises full-year guidance and completes £2.1 billion in share buybacks following strong growth across all business segments.

London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) reported record financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2026, with total income (excluding recoveries) increasing 8.4% on an organic, constant currency basis to £4,799 million [4, 5]. Growth was broad-based across the company's divisions, with Markets leading at 11.9%, followed by Risk Intelligence at 9.7%, FTSE Russell at 9.1%, and Data & Analytics at 5.1%.

Profitability and cash generation saw significant increases. Adjusted EBITDA grew 14.1% on an organic, constant currency basis, with the margin expanding by 320bps to 52.7% [4, 5]. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) rose 17.2% to 244.9p, while reported EPS increased 33.5% to 163.8p [4, 5]. Equity free cash flow reached £1.2 billion, a 37.0% increase on a reported basis.

LSEG returned a record £2.1 billion to shareholders through share buybacks in the first half, with an additional £1.35 billion to £1.4 billion planned for future completion [1, 6]. The company also increased its interim dividend by 17.0% to 55.0p per share [5, 6].

Strategic initiatives focused on AI and market innovation. The company rolled out AI Search to 17,000 active Workspace users and engaged over 200 customers with its "LSEG Everywhere" data strategy [1, 6]. In its Markets business, LSEG recorded its first Private Securities Markets transactions and is planning the launch of LSE 24 [1, 6].

Looking forward, LSEG has raised its 2026 guidance. Organic constant currency growth in total income (excluding recoveries) is now projected at 7.0-7.5%, up from the initial 6.5%-7.5%. The company also raised its constant currency EBITDA margin guidance to approximately 100 bps, from the previous range of 80-100 bps. Additional outlook includes equity free cash flow of at least £2.7 billion and capex intensity of approximately 9.5%.