WPP plc key statistics and ratios

In fiscal 2025, WPP plc had return on equity of -7.3%, an operating margin of 2.8%, debt equal to 382.0% of equity and a current ratio of 0.89. Each ratio below is calculated from the figures on its income statement, balance sheet and cash flow pages.

Financial ratios

US$ thousands unless shown otherwise. Fiscal years, plus the last twelve months (LTM) when newer.

WPP plc: financial ratios, annual
Fiscal year	2015Dec 2015	2016Dec 2016	2017Dec 2017	2018Dec 2018	2019Dec 2019	2020Dec 2020	2021Dec 2021	2022Dec 2022	2023Dec 2023	2024Dec 2024	2025Dec 2025
Gross margin	20.6%	20.4%	20.3%	19.1%	18.2%	16.8%	17.2%	17.6%	17.0%	16.6%	15.8%
Operating margin	13.3%	13.9%	12.0%	9.5%	9.8%	−19.0%	9.6%	9.4%	3.6%	9.0%	2.8%
Net margin	9.5%	9.4%	14.9%	6.3%	6.4%	−24.7%	5.0%	4.7%	0.7%	3.7%	−1.6%
Free-cash-flow margin	9.4%	10.2%	8.5%	10.6%	11.4%	15.3%	13.8%	3.4%	7.1%	8.3%	4.7%
Return on equity	15.0%	16.3%	20.8%	8.9%	9.6%	−44.8%	15.5%	18.1%	3.1%	16.0%	−7.3%
Current ratio	—	0.92	0.99	0.97	0.99	1.03	0.93	0.85	0.86	0.88	0.89
Debt to equity	—	64.7%	68.3%	66.4%	162.1%	287.3%	132.3%	135.0%	269.1%	244.2%	382.0%
Interest cover (operating income ÷ interest)	7.6x	8.4x	6.1x	4.4x	—	—	4.4x	3.8x	1.4x	3.3x	1.1x
Effective tax rate	16.6%	20.6%	4.4%	25.1%	23.7%	—	24.2%	33.2%	43.1%	39.0%	—
Capital spending as % of revenue	1.7%	1.7%	2.2%	2.4%	2.6%	1.8%	2.1%	1.4%	1.2%	1.3%	0.7%
Free cash flow ÷ net income	99.1%	108.7%	57.0%	167.2%	179.0%	—	276.9%	72.0%	964.5%	224.9%	—
Dividends and buybacks ÷ free cash flow	51.1%	28.1%	45.0%	15.0%	2.9%	15.8%	46.4%	175.2%	5.1%	6.7%	15.3%

Returns use average equity or assets over the year. Return on equity is left blank when equity is negative or so small that the ratio says nothing (above ±200%); interest cover is left blank above 200 times. Price-based ratios such as P/E are on the valuation page.

Moat

Not assessed: fewer than five years of comparable figures in the filings. AI disruption exposure for this industry: High.

A rules-based reading of reported figures, not a forecast and not investment advice. How the score is built: methodology.

Compare with peers

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Figures from WPP plc's SEC filings (10-K and 10-Q), retrieved November 1, 2026. How we read and check them: methodology and data sources. Not investment advice. Back to WPP plc.