Vertu Motors (AIM:VTU), the major UK automotive retailer operating 191 sales and aftersales outlets, reported adjusted profit before tax of £24.5m for the year ended 28 February, marginally ahead of the £24m analyst estimates.
The result was underpinned by £30.7m of free cash flow, net debt of £61.3m at 28 February, aftersales now generating over 46% of Group gross profit, and the board recommending a final dividend of 1.15p to leave full‑year dividends unchanged at 2.05p while returning £10.7m via buybacks in the year and announcing a further £12m programme, the company said.
FY26 included £3.4m of insurance income recognised in underlying earnings that partly offset £3.9m of losses from the Jaguar Land Rover cyber‑attack, together with £5.1m of non‑underlying restructuring costs and £5.1m cash proceeds from surplus freehold disposals, producing net tangible assets per share of 75.9p.
Trading into FY27 has started strongly with March and April profit ahead of the prior year, the group launching Value Cars by Vertu on 1 April, and management saying scale, disciplined cost control and a strong balance sheet leave it well positioned to navigate ZEV‑driven margin pressure and capture consolidation opportunities.
