Whitbread PLC

WTB

Equity

ISIN GB00B1KJJ408 / Valor 2831070

LSE London Stock Exchange, SETS (2026-03-05)

GBP 25.54+0.47%

Whitbread PLC
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About company

Whitbread PLC is a prominent UK-based hospitality company, recognized as the largest hotel operator in the country, primarily through its ownership of Premier Inn. The company has recently expanded its footprint by securing a second location for Premier Inn in Cork City, Ireland, marking a significant step in its international expansion efforts. This move involves the acquisition of the site of the Leisureplex entertainment complex in the Victorian Quarter of Cork, indicating Whitbread's strategic approach to growth by selecting locations that offer both cultural significance and potential for high customer traffic. Beyond its hotel operations, Whitbread PLC has demonstrated a commitment to social responsibility through partnerships, such as with Hope and Aid Direct. This collaboration aims to provide support for people affected by the war in Ukraine, showcasing the company's engagement in humanitarian efforts. This initiative is part of Whitbread's broader "Force for Good" sustainability strategy, which, while not the focus of this description, underscores the company's efforts to integrate social responsibility into its business model.

Summarized from source with an LLMView SourceSector: Consumer Services

Headline financials

Adjusted EBITDAR £1,030m (‑3%); adjusted PBT £483m (FY24: £561m); statutory PBT £368m after £116m of adjusting items (including £76m net impairment); net debt £483m (FY24: £298m); lease‑adjusted leverage 3.0x (FY24: 2.6x).

Premier Inn UK

UK revenue down 3% as F&B fell 11% due to the Accelerating Growth Plan (AGP); accommodation sales in line with FY24, RevPAR down 2% (£64.42), adjusted PBT £507m (‑14%); management expects AGP one‑off impact to be fully reversed in FY26 and is unlocking c.3,500 extension rooms.

Premier Inn Germany

Germany revenue +21% (local currency), RevPAR +18% (to €60), adjusted loss before tax reduced to £11m (FY24 loss £36m); management expects Germany to deliver a positive adjusted PBT of £5–10m in FY26 and reach ~20,000 rooms and at least ~£70m adjusted PBT by FY30.

Five‑Year Plan and guidance

Five‑Year Plan remains on track to deliver at least £300m incremental adjusted PBT vs FY25 and to release >£2bn for buybacks/dividends by FY30; FY26 guidance includes 1,000–1,200 UK new rooms (500–700 AGP extensions), £60m of cost efficiencies, net capex £400–500m, gross capex £700–750m, and property transaction receipts £250–300m.

Capital allocation & shareholder returns

Board recommends final dividend 60.6p (total 97.0p FY25) and is accelerating returns with a £250m share buy‑back over 12 months; Whitbread also plans to recycle at least £1bn of mature property into higher‑returning growth.

Cashflow & balance sheet

Adjusted operating cashflow £723m; disposal proceeds £137m (including £56m sale & leasebacks); FY25 total cash returned to shareholders £442m; closing net debt £483m after FY25 buybacks and capex.

Trading update (to 17 April 2025)

Seven‑week trading: UK accommodation sales down 1% vs FY25 but outperformed the M&E market by c.2pp on accommodation and RevPAR growth (forward bookings ahead), UK F&B down ~16% as AGP removals continue; Germany accommodation sales +23% vs FY25 with strong forward bookings and cohort RevPAR well ahead of market.

Summarized from source with an LLMView Source

Key figures

0.27%1Y

-17.0%3Y

-26.8%5Y

Performance

29.7%1Y

24.6%3Y

28.6%5Y

Volatility