9 September 2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION
Victrex plc
("Victrex" "Company " or the "Group")
Pre-Close Trading Update
Underlying PBT now expected to be in the range of £45m to £47m, ahead of
prior guidance of £42m to £44m
Victrex plc, the innovative global leader in high-performance polymer solutions, today announces a pre-close trading update for the year ending 30 September 2026.
FY26 Trading Performance
Since our Q3 trading update on 7 July 2026, strong momentum has continued into Q4, with year-on-year growth across our end markets driven by Aerospace, Value Added Resellers and Electronics. We are also seeing good growth across all regions, with particularly strong growth in Asia Pacific. The previously announced 10% reduction in our headcount has been completed, with the initial benefits being seen during Q4 and contributing to at least £10m of annualised savings from our wider Profit Improvement Plan expected to be delivered in FY 2027.
The Board now expects FY 2026 underlying PBT to be in the range of £45m to £47m, ahead of prior guidance of £42m to £44m.
Strategic Progress
On 7 August 2026 we completed the divestment of our US-based Kleiss Gears business to The Heico Companies' Industrial Technologies Group. Kleiss Gears is a highly specialised parts manufacturing business based in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Following the successful seeding of the PEEK gears market using the expertise acquired with Kleiss Gears, the assets and expertise at Kleiss are no longer a key component of our strategy, with the divestment of this business reflecting our disciplined focus on core operations. For the FY 2026 results we will record an exceptional loss on disposal of approximately £3m.
Interim CFO Appointment
We are pleased to announce that Chris Gilbert has joined as the Group's Interim Chief Financial Officer on 1 September 2026. Chris brings extensive sector experience, including at Elementis plc, as well as proven capability of delivering large-scale finance transformation projects with Deloitte LLP. As this is an interim appointment, Chris will not be appointed as a Director or join the Board of the Company.
Dr James Routh, Chief Executive Officer of Victrex, said:
"We have maintained our strong momentum during Q4, with revenue growth driven by improved performance across key end markets and all regions. As a result, we now expect full year underlying PBT for FY 2026 to be ahead of our prior guidance.
"We look forward to providing further detail on our compelling growth strategy and clear and differentiated value proposition during our Capital Markets Event later this month[1]."
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation. The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of Victrex is Kerry Thornton, Company Secretary.
Enquiries:
Victrex plc:
Stephen Lamacraft, Investor Relations, stephen.lamacraft@victrex.com +44 (0) 7776 433916
Dr. James Routh, CEO, james.routh@victrex.com +44 (0) 1253 897700
Corporate brokers
Chris Baird, Chris.Baird@investec.com
Ben Lawrence, ben.lawrence@investec.com
Alia Malik, alia.malik@jpmorgan.com
Charlie Oakes, charles.x.oakes@jpmorgancazenove.com
About Victrex:
Victrex is an innovative world leader in high-performance polymer solutions, focused on the strategic markets of Automotive, Aerospace, Energy & Industrial, Electronics and Medical. Every day, millions of people rely on products or applications which contain our sustainable materials, from smartphones, aeroplanes and cars to energy operations and medical devices. With over 40 years' experience, we are moving beyond the polymer into semi-finished and finished products which shape future performance for our customers and our markets, enable environmental and societal benefit for our customers and drive value for our shareholders. Find out more at www.victrexplc.com
[1] Capital Markets Event ('Unlocking Victrex's Potential') on 24 September, 3.00pm-6.00pm UK time; 30 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP. To register to attend please contact InvestorRelations@Victrex.com