News

Aegis Group revenues driven by North American business

Increased contributions from Aegis Group’s North American business units has driven a 15% year-on-year growth in revenues to £596.8m ($948.5m) in its first half-year results for 2012.

The group’s media arm, Aegis Media, saw a year-on-year increase in revenues of 38% to £134.8m ($214.2m) in the region during H1 2012. Operations in Asia Pacific also saw strong growth for the media group with a 17.3% year-on-year growth to £115.8m ($184.1m).

New business for the period came to $3.2bn in billings for Aegis Group compared to H1 2011’s £2bn. This was boosted by the General Motors business which was won by Carat at the beginning of the year.

Overall, the Group’s operating profit for the first half of the year increased by 14.6% to £87m ($138.3m). Its underling operating margin remained unchanged from 2011 at 14.6%.

Last month, Dentsu’s $4.9bn acquisition offer was approved “overwhelmingly” by Aegis Group’s shareholders. The holding group reports that it expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter of 2012. Aegis Group also made several acquisitions and investments of its own during the period around the world, including Roundarch in the US, Upper Storey in Singapore, eLink in China and PPI in Hungary.

“This improved business mix, supplemented by targeted acquisitions, gives Aegis an unrivalled ability and opportunity to deliver the integrated campaigns our clients are seeking in the convergent media environment,” says Aegis Group chief executive Jerry Buhlmann. “The business’s considerable positive momentum continued, and was reflected in our market-outperformance.”

David Hing, London