EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS

1. EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS 1978-12-31 → present
2. BEAVERBROOK NEWSPAPERS LIMITED 1915-10-02 → 1978-12-31

Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers

Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.

Accounting basis

FRS 101

Reporting scope

Standalone (parent only)

Auditor

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“At the date of signing of these financial statements the directors have considered all the factors impacting the Company's business, including downside sensitivities and the strong balance sheet of Reach plc. The directors therefore have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the Company's financial statements.”

Group structure

1. EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS · parent
   1. Beaverbrook Newspapers Limited 100% · England and Wales
   2. Blackfriars Leasing Ltd 100% · England and Wales
   3. Daily Express Limited 100% · England and Wales
   4. Daily Star Limited 100% · England and Wales
   5. Express Newspapers Pension Trustees Limited 100% · England and Wales
   6. Express Newspapers Properties Limited 100% · England and Wales
   7. Scottish Express Newspapers Limited 100% · Scotland
   8. Sunday Express Limited 100% · England and Wales
   9. United Magazines Publishing Services Limited 100% · England and Wales
   10. West Ferry Leasing Limited 100% · England and Wales
   11. Reach Printing Services (West Ferry) Limited 100% · England and Wales
   12. West Ferry Printers Pension Scheme Trustees Limited 0% · England and Wales

Significant events

• “Operating costs were lower as we implemented our 2023 restructuring and efficiency programme in early 2024.”
• “The ENSM Scheme commenced winding up in February 2024.”
• “During 2022, the Trustees of the ENSM Scheme purchased a bulk annuity at no cost to the group. The Trustee of the ENSM Scheme subsequently converted this to a buy out policy on 28 February 2024, converting all pension liabilities previously covered by the buy in into individual annuity policies between the insurer and former scheme members.”
• “In June 2023, the UK High Court (Virgin Media v NTL Pension Trustees II Limited) ruled that certain historical amendments for contracted out defined benefit schemes were invalid if they were not accompanied by the correct actuarial confirmation. In July 2024 the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's judgment.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

4

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

0

last 12 months

Officers resigned

0

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  -2.8%

  £147,814,000 → £143,647,000

• Cash

  +212%

  £981,000 → £3,061,000

• Net assets

  +5.6%

  £416,629,000 → £439,957,000

• Employees

  -15.6%

  397 → 335

• Operating profit

  -1.6%

  £26,021,000 → £25,602,000

• Profit before tax

  -1.6%

  £27,319,000 → £26,894,000

• Wages

  -17.8%

  £19,633,000 → £16,143,000

Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers