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Unigel Group PLC on Friday said it continued to see lethargic demand across most markets in the first half of 2025, but it still outperformed expectations. The Eastbourne, England-based manufacturer and distributor of steel tape and thixotropic gels under the Unitape and Unigel brands said pretax profit jumped 59% to £2.0 million in the first half of 2025 from £1.3 million a year prior. Turnover climbed 28% to £18.9 million from £14.8 million. Cost of sales increased 29% to £15.2 million from £11.8 million. Administrative expenses came in 7.6% higher at £1.9 million compared to £1.8 million. The company said its businesses outperformed expectations, with most of its gains being in the steel tape segment in the US, while it also saw strong sales coming through in its thixotropic gel and cable components trading business in some selected markets. ‘The group continued to see lethargic demand growth across most major markets in the first half of 2025 in the markets where it operates. Sentiment remains weak with continued slowdown in telecommunications network deployment as major telco operators remain cautious due to persistent high interest rates and weak and uncertain economic recovery in most markets,’ Unigel said. It added that it had invested in capacity growth and new product introduction which aim to strengthen its future business prospects. ‘We had successfully ramped up production with our Malaysian tolling plant which will contribute to our bottom-line for the rest of 2025,’ Chief Executive Officer Eric Chhoa said. Unigel said it maintained an optimistic but cautious outlook for the rest of 2025. Looking ahead, Chair Sven Janne Sjoden said: ‘With so many uncertainties brought about by tariff and non-tariff policies of the US during the period under review, the outlook on the global economy remains cautious due to geopolitical conflicts, trade tensions, inflation pressure and a longer than anticipated high-interest rate environment dominating the business headlines. In our industry, the proliferation of artificial intelligence and AI investment together with broadband infrastructure investments has provided optimism to the group and its customer base.’ Unigel shares jumped 25% to 87.50 pence each on Friday morning on the Aquis Stock Exchange in London. Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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