US drives Havas Q1 2026 revenue growth

Havas has reported net revenue of €638 million for the first quarter of 2026, delivering organic growth of +2.5% and confirming its full-year guidance despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.

The group also posted total revenue of €667 million for the period, supported by strong performance in the United States and continued contributions from recent acquisitions.

US growth drives quarterly performance

Organic growth was underpinned by a strong performance in North America, where net revenue increased by +7.4%. The region was driven by creative and media operations, supported by prior-year client wins that continued to scale in early 2026.

Europe recorded modest organic growth of +1.1%, while Latin America remained broadly stable at -0.6%. APAC and Africa declined by -6.2%, reflecting client losses in parts of Asia.

Recent acquisitions contributed positively, adding +1.7% to net revenue growth over the quarter.

Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas: "Havas has started 2026 on a solid footing, continuing its momentum and delivering organic growth in net revenue of +2.5%. This performance, in line with our full year 2026 guidance, was driven in particular by continued strength in the US and reflects the resilience of our model and the quality of our recent new business wins across key markets. Building on the transformation delivered in recent years, we remain focused on disciplined execution, the continued deployment of our Converged strategy, and our commitment to empowering our teams through the roll-out of our AVA LLM portal and comprehensive training in AI and new technologies, further strengthening collaboration and value creation across the Group. While the environment remains uncertain, the fundamentals of our model and our ability to adapt with agility give us confidence in our capacity to deliver sustainable, profitable growth. I would like to thank our clients for their continued trust and recognize the commitment of our teams around the world, who play a central role in our success."

Strategic acquisitions and capability expansion

During the quarter, Havas continued its bolt-on acquisition strategy, taking majority stakes in four companies to strengthen capabilities across public affairs, data, cultural marketing and experiential production.

The acquisitions include Acento Public Affairs, Ctrl Digital, Styleheads and Eyesight.

These additions are intended to expand the group’s offering across communications, analytics, cultural engagement and luxury brand experiences.

Havas Media Network and creative agencies within the group contributed to client growth momentum, particularly in markets where recent wins have begun to scale.

Portfolio resilience and geographic balance

The group highlighted continued diversification across regions, with Europe accounting for 50% of net revenue, North America 36%, APAC and Africa 8%, and Latin America 6%.

Despite regional variability, Havas emphasised resilience in its business model, supported by client retention, new business wins and geographic spread.

The company also confirmed that recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East are not expected to have a material impact on its financial results.

Outlook and guidance confirmed

Havas confirmed its full-year 2026 guidance, targeting organic net revenue growth of +2.0% to +3.0%, with an adjusted EBIT margin of 13.2% to 13.5% and a dividend payout ratio of around 40%.

The group also reaffirmed its medium-term 2028 targets, including further margin expansion and continued shareholder returns, alongside plans for additional bolt-on acquisitions.

www.havas.com

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