YouGov (LON:YOU) Trading Down 15.2% – Here’s Why

YouGov plc (LON:YOU) shares fell 15.2% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 135.40 and last traded at GBX 147.48. 2,829,414 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 143% from the average session volume of 1,164,805 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 174.

YouGov News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting YouGov this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Senior insiders (Chair Ian Griffiths and CEO Stephan Shakespeare) bought material stakes on March 24 — management buying at ~GBX 155–156 signals confidence and can support the share price. YouGov Chair and CEO Increase Holdings with Fresh Share Purchases
• Positive Sentiment: Berenberg initiated coverage with a “buy” rating and GBX 395 target, and UBS reaffirmed a “buy” with a GBX 510 target — analyst endorsements may attract long-only investors and provide support. Broker Ratings (Digital Look)
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly results showed modest earnings (GBX 11.40 EPS) and thin margins (net margin ~3.5%), reflecting a business still investing for growth; results themselves are not the main driver but leave limited upside without margin recovery. YouGov Earnings / Marketbeat
• Neutral Sentiment: YouGov’s survey work (e.g., the Citi/YouGov inflation-expectations release) underscores the company’s data reach, which is strategically valuable but not an immediate earnings lever. UK public inflation expectations surge in March, Citi/YouGov survey shows
• Negative Sentiment: YouGov warned of lower profits as AI investment and other costs squeeze margins; that profit warning triggered a sharp negative market reaction and is the primary near-term headwind. UK pollster YouGov warns of lower profit, shares drop
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that YouGov is exploring the sale of a unit (including the Shopper business) to offset the cash drain from AI investments raise concerns about execution and recurring revenue stability. UK pollster YouGov explores unit sale as AI investments squeeze profit
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank lowered their price targets (to GBX 350) this morning — even with buy/overweight stances, downward PT revisions can pressure sentiment and weigh on the stock. Broker Ratings (Digital Look)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on YOU shares. Berenberg Bank assumed coverage on YouGov in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a GBX 395 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on YouGov from GBX 370 to GBX 350 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of YouGov from GBX 380 to GBX 350 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 510 price target on shares of YouGov in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group initiated coverage on shares of YouGov in a report on Thursday, March 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a GBX 450 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 411.

YouGov Stock Up 0.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 112.39, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The business’s 50 day moving average price is GBX 209.52 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 250.26. The firm has a market cap of £191.99 million, a PE ratio of 14.50, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.40.

YouGov (LON:YOU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 24th. The company reported GBX 11.40 earnings per share for the quarter. YouGov had a net margin of 3.11% and a return on equity of 6.46%. On average, equities research analysts expect that YouGov plc will post 41.8853256 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at YouGov

In other YouGov news, insider Ian Griffiths bought 30,784 shares of YouGov stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 156 per share, for a total transaction of £48,023.04. Also, insider Ashley G. Martin purchased 16,586 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 211 per share, for a total transaction of £34,996.46. Insiders acquired 112,986 shares of company stock valued at $18,472,430 over the last 90 days. 13.45% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

YouGov Company Profile

YouGov is a global research data and analytics group. Our mission is to offer unparalleled insight into what the world really thinks and does. With operations in the Americas, Mainland Europe, UK and Asia Pacific, we have one of the world’s largest research networks.

Above all, YouGov is powered by reality. That stems from a unique panel of millions of registered members across 64 markets, encapsulating some 18 million shopping trips and millions of interconnected data points. Our unique approach to recruiting and engaging with our panel, combined with our state-of-the-art technology platforms, enables us to deliver real-world, real-time insights that lead to better decision-making and a competitive advantage for our clients.