The Rightmove Plc Board approved an interim dividend of 3.6p (2022: 3.3p) per qualifying ordinary share being £29,300,000 (2022: £27,393,000)
The 2022 final dividend of £42,588,000 (5.2p per qualifying share) was paid on 26 May 2023. It was £300,000 lower than that reported in the 2022 annual accounts due to a decrease in the ordinary shares entitled to a dividend between 2 March 2023 and the interim dividend record date of 28 April 2023.
Other financial highlights include:
Revenue up £16.8m/10% to £179.5m, as customers increased their use of their digital products and continued to upgrade their packages: the highest revenue growth in a first half period since 2018
Operating profit of £129.5m, up 7% (2022: £121.3m)
Underlying operating profit of £133.2m, up 9% (2022: £122.4m)
Basic earnings per share up 3% to 12.1p (2022: 11.7p); underlying earnings per share up 6% to 12.5p (2022: 11.8p) - lower growth reflects the impact of the corporation tax increase in 2023
£97.6m of returns to shareholders through share buybacks and dividends in the first half of 2023 (2022: £100.3m); 10 million shares (1.2% of outstanding share capital) cancelled in the first half of the year (2022: 9.8 million)
Cash and cash equivalents, including money market deposits, of £43.2m (31 December 2022: £40.1m)
