The FirstGroup Board has declared an interim dividend of 1.7p per share (c.£10m in aggregate), to be paid on 31 December 2024 to shareholders on the register at 29 November 2024.
Other financial highlights include:
• Adjusted revenue growth to £649.6m (H1 2024 £634.8m) reflecting strong underlying performance in First Bus and good demand in First Rail open access
• Group adjusted operating profit £100.8m; H1 2024 was positively affected by an extra week of trading and a c.£13m uplift from higher than accrued final FY 2023 variable fee awards in the First Rail DfT Train Operating Companies (‘DfT TOCs’)
• Adjusted EPS of 8.5p for continuing operations (H1 2024: 8.1p)
• Additional on market share buyback programme of £50m announced
• Strong balance sheet maintained; adjusted net debt at period end of £0.2m
• Recent strategic acquisitions in both divisions that will grow First Bus Adjacent Services and increase First Rail’s open access capacity
