Shares in financial data provider Iress Ltd (ASX: IRE) raced higher in early trade on Monday after the company announced an efficiency push which would "permanently increase margins".
Iress said in a statement to the ASX on Monday morning that it had divested six non-core business units over the past two years, which had enabled it to strengthen its balance sheet and had "transformed (it) into a more focused and streamlined organisation centred on two core global enterprise software business units – Wealth and Trading & Market Data''.
It went on to say:
Looking ahead, Iress is now executing a FY26 business efficiency program designed to further enhance operating leverage, strengthen profitability, and re-energise the business for growth through a sharper focus on product, technology, and client engagement.
Iress said the program would deliver "enduring structural efficiencies" and said this would lead to better earnings margins this financial year.
The program targets a sustainable cash EBITDA margin of about 25% by the end of FY26, compared with an expected about 19% cash EBITDA margin for FY25. This increased level of margin performance is expected to be maintained on an ongoing basis, reflecting a structurally more efficient operating model.
The company said it was also building new revenue channels for growth, "including AI-enabled capabilities and enhanced client solutions''.
Iress' product, technology, and capital management priorities are being closely aligned to reinforce client outcomes, improve execution, and deliver on the company's cash EBITDA margin and shareholder return objectives.
Earnings upgrade
Iress reconfirmed its FY25 guidance on Monday, saying it expected adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $128 million to $132 million, and underlying profit after tax to be in the range of $67 million to $71 million, up from prior guidance of $65 million to $71 million.
The possibility of a corporate transaction also remained a possibility, the company said.
Iress continues to engage with multiple parties in order to ascertain whether there is a strategic proposal which could be recommended by the Iress Board.
Iress said on October 17 that it had made a virtual data room available to a number of new parties considering a takeover proposal for the company, although there was no guarantee that any such transaction would eventuate.
Iress shares traded as high as $9.52 on the trading update on Monday morning before settling back to be 4.3% higher at $9.14. Iress was valued at $1.63 billion at the close of trade on Friday.
Iress' new managing director, Andrew Russell, will start with the company on 17 November.
