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Softcat PLC on Wednesday reported full-year profit and revenue gains, as it noted an ‘exceptionally strong’ second half driven by larger solutions projects. The Buckinghamshire, England-based provider of IT infrastructure products said pre-tax profit for the 12 months to July 31 rose 12% to £178.2 million from £159.4 million. Revenue jumped 52% to £1.46 billion from £962.6 million, driven by hardware, services and software revenue growth and further boosted by larger hardware solutions projects in the second half. Gross profit increased 18% to £494.3 million from £417.8 million, driven by the enterprise, mid-market and public sector customer segments. By technology area, gross profit growth continued to be fuelled by security due to ‘the ongoing customer focus on cyber investments, alongside growth in data centres and networking,’ said Softcat. Underlying operating profit rose 17% to £180.1 million from £154.1 million. Softcat said this growth was ‘partially offset’ by a 19% rise in underlying operating costs, which was driven by increased commissions, an average headcount growth of 7.3% and an average salary per head growth of 3.7%. The company declared a total ordinary dividend of 29.3p per share, up 10% from 26.6p, and a special dividend of 16.1p, down from the 20.9p one it declared a year prior. Softcat completed its first-ever acquisition, data and AI consultancy Oakland, during the year. Describing its outlook, Softcat said it remains ‘well positioned’ to deliver significant growth and expects underlying operating profit growth to be weighted toward the first half. The company described its performance in the second half as ‘exceptionally strong’ as a result of the contribution from larger solutions projects. Softcat said its guidance for financial 2026 includes a pipeline of further large projects, which it expects to be delivered in the first half. Chief Executive Graham Charlton said: ‘I’m very pleased to report another record performance for Softcat, which marks a milestone achievement of 20 consecutive years of double-digit gross profit growth. The strength of our business model and our consistent strategic execution underpin our continuing ability to scale and invest for future growth. ‘Our outstanding performance in FY2025 and the sustainability of our growth model are a tribute to our special culture and the ongoing evolution of our offering.’ Shares in Softcat rose 4.2% to 1,634.00 pence on Wednesday morning in London. The wider FTSE 250 index was up 0.8%. Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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