Funding Circle Holdings (LSE:FCH) upgraded its full-year 2026 guidance on Tuesday, now expecting revenue of at least £275 million, up from previous guidance of more than £255 million.
The London-listed small business lending platform said profit margins would come in at approximately 16%, a measure that replaces its earlier guidance of profit before tax above £40 million.
Funding Circle said the upgrade reflects momentum carried over from the first half, when revenue rose 50% year-on-year to approximately £138 million and pre-tax profit nearly quadrupled to roughly £23 million, with sustained market demand and product innovation through September and October and a strong start to November.
"We've carried the strong momentum seen in the first half of 2026 into the autumn, and SME demand has remained resilient despite continued macro uncertainty," said chief executive Lisa Jacobs.
The company also updated on capital returns, saying it remains capital-light with a robust balance sheet and strong cash generation.
It launched a fourth share buyback programme on 21 September, which has bought back £5 million of shares to date; combined with earlier programmes, Funding Circle has now repurchased £80 million of shares, equivalent to 19% of its issued share capital.
The upgrade comes two months after Jacobs told the board of her intention to step down no later than September 2027, with Rob Straathof named as her successor, expected to join in the first half of 2027.
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