WPP tumbles after report of 1,000 additional job cuts

Only Dentsu Group and S4 Capital hold their ground in a red week

Four of the six stocks followed by Marketing Report closed lower on 1 September than on 25 August. WPP suffered the biggest decline after the Financial Times reported that the group plans to cut up to 1,000 additional jobs this year. Dentsu Group gained following the announced alliance with Itochu, while S4 Capital held on to the losses recorded the previous week without falling further.

Company	25 Aug	1 Sep	Change
WPP (GBp)	392.2	370.1	-5.6%
Publicis Groupe (EUR)	103.35	99.40	-3.8%
S4 Capital (GBp)	49.15	49.55	+0.8%
Dentsu Group (JPY)	3,641	3,726	+2.3%
Omnicom Group (USD)	88.20	86.09	-2.4%
Havas (EUR)	18.70	18.20	-2.7%

WPP

WPP fell 5.6 percent to close at 370.10 pence. On 1 September, the Financial Times reported that the group plans to cut up to 1,000 additional jobs by the end of the year as part of an accelerated restructuring programme under new CEO Cindy Rose. The programme also includes the sale of non-core businesses and real estate. Reuters subsequently reported the story, noting that it had not independently verified the information.

For the first half of 2026, revenue came to £6.373 billion, down 4.4 percent from a year earlier. The operating margin was 4.1 percent.

There was better news commercially. WPP Media won the international media account of Godrej Consumer Products following a pitch that began in March. The mandate covers seven markets: Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Nigeria, Argentina and Chile. The media business had previously been handled by local agencies in each market. EssenceMediacom has held the company's Indian account since 2025.

Publicis Groupe

Publicis fell 3.8 percent to €99.40, a week after closing at €103.35, close to its annual high. There was no major company news. A market commentary published on 31 August compared the 17.4 percent operating margin reported in the group's latest results with WPP's 4.1 percent, alongside organic growth of 5.6 percent for 2025 and guidance of 4 to 5 percent for 2026.

S4 Capital

S4 Capital rose 0.8 percent to 49.55 pence, making it, alongside Dentsu, the only other stock to gain. The share price remains more than 90 percent below its 2021 peak. Monks, the group's operating brand, expanded its strategy practice across EMEA.

Dentsu Group

Dentsu rose 2.3 percent to 3,726 yen. On 31 August, Itochu and Dentsu Group announced a strategic alliance covering two areas: IT services and retail media. Itochu will contribute, among other assets, its FamiPay payment platform and retail data, while Dentsu will provide its advertising and marketing capabilities.

Omnicom Group

Omnicom fell 2.4 percent to $86.09, a week after reaching an annual high of $88.67.

On 28 August, Omnicom Media launched the Hearts United network, created through the merger of Hearts & Science and Mediahub. The agency operates in 40 markets and represents approximately $9.1 billion in 2025 billings. Nicole Estebanell leads the US organisation and Ross Jenkins leads EMEA; leadership for Asia-Pacific and Latin America will follow in the fourth quarter.

Havas

Havas fell 2.7 percent to €18.20. Between 24 and 28 August, the company repurchased 5,000 of its own shares at an average price of €18.61, under the €50 million buyback programme announced on 13 May.

Marketing Report Markets is an editorial analysis of share-price developments within the marcom sector and does not constitute investment advice.

Follow Marketing Report on LinkedIn