AD Agencies
Pressman PAT down in Q3-2014
BENGALURU: Pressman Advertising Limited (Pressman) reported a (49.4) per cent lower PAT at Rs 1.01 crore in Q3-2014 from Rs 2 crore in Q2-2014. The company was listed at the bourses just a few months ago and the analysis is limited to figures reported by it for the quarter and the nine month period of this year and for FY 2013. PAT for 9M-2014 was Rs 5.03 crore, while the company has reported a small loss of Rs 0.05 crore in 9M-2013, PAT for FY 2013 was Rs 6.29 crore.
Let us look at the Q3-2014 figures reported by Pressman
Pressman reported an (8.25) per cent drop in operating revenue in Q3-2014 to Rs 9.31 crore from Rs 10.15 crore in Q2-2014. For 9M-2014, the company reported operating revenue of Rs 28.86 crore and for FY 2013, the figure was Rs 43.96 crore.
Expenditure for Q3-2014 at Rs 8.7 crore was (2.2) per cent lower than the Rs 8.89 crore in Q2-2014. For 9M-2014, the company reported Expenditure of Rs 26.77 crore and for FY 2013 it reported Expenditure of Rs 39.1 crore.
The company reported a (3.1) per cent drop in Cost of services to Rs 7.26 crore in Q3-2014 from Rs 7.49 crore. For 9M-2014, this cost head was Rs 22.55 crore and for FY 2013, this cost head was Rs 34.09 crore.
Pressman’s Employee Benefits expense in Q3-2014 was up 10.8 per cent to Rs 0.70 crore from Rs 0.63 crore in Q2-2014.For 9M-2014, Employee Benefit expense was Rs 194 crore and for FY 2013, it was Rs 2.28 crore.
Notes: (1) The name of the company has changed from Nucent Estates Limited to Pressman Advertising Limited with effect from 22 August 2013.
(2) Current quarter/half-year’s figures are not comparable for those of last year on account of effect of amalgamation
(3) In Q1-2014, the company had released Rs 1.461 crore that had been earlier written off and this amount helped in inflating the profit for that quarter. This year the company has added Rs 0.6 crore to exceptional items – write back of liability provided for earlier year no longer required.
AD Agencies
Publicis posts €4.19bn Q1 revenue, 6.4 per cent growth; backs FY outlook
Ad giant signals Q2 acceleration as AI and new deals power momentum
PARIS: Publicis Groupe continues to outperform the industry, delivering a strong start to 2026 under Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun. Despite a volatile global macro environment, the company has now outpaced the industry for nearly 20 consecutive quarters.
For Q1 2026, total revenue reached €4,191 million, up from €4,161 million last year, with organic growth of 6.4 per cent. Net revenue, which excludes pass-through costs, stood at €3,460 million, reflecting organic growth of 4.5 per cent.
Exchange rates had a negative impact of €268 million, mainly due to a weaker US dollar and pound sterling. Acquisitions, including Adge.AI and 160over90, contributed an additional €46 million.
Performance across regions was largely positive, with some variation:
- North America, accounting for 59 per cent of net revenue, grew 4.7 per cent
- Europe recorded growth of 3.9 per cent, led by the UK at 6.2 per cent, while France grew 1.6 per cent
- Asia Pacific posted 5.9 per cent growth, driven by China at 11.7 per cent
- Latin America grew 13.3 per cent
- Middle East and Africa declined 5.1 per cent due to geopolitical challenges
AI-powered marketing services, which now make up 86 per cent of the business, grew 5.6 per cent. However, the technology segment, representing 14 per cent of revenue, declined slightly as clients reduced spending on large-scale transformation projects.
Sharing his outlook, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment. Organic revenue growth reached 6.4%, leading to 4.5% in net and further increasing the gap with our peers.” He added that the company remains confident of delivering industry-leading performance. “We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4 to 5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2 despite a higher comparable.”
Publicis continued its expansion with the acquisition of Adge.AI in March, followed by 160over90 in April to strengthen its sports and culture marketing capabilities.
Net financial debt stood at €1,156 million at the end of March, reflecting a seasonal shift from the net cash position at the end of 2025. Average net debt over the past twelve months was €1,035 million.
The company has reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting net revenue organic growth of 4 to 5 per cent in 2026. It also anticipates an operating margin slightly above 18.2 per cent and free cash flow of approximately €2.1 billion.
With expectations of stronger performance in the second quarter, Publicis remains well positioned to sustain its growth momentum.
