What's Going On With Manchester United Stock Thursday?

Benzinga · 3d ago

Manchester United Ltd. (NYSE:MANU) posted first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Thursday that showed revenue softness but a sharp swing back to operating profit.

The update underscored the early financial payoff from recent cost-cutting and restructuring efforts, even as net losses widened.

The club posted quarterly net sales of 140.3 million pounds ($189.28 million), down from 143.1 million pounds a year earlier and falling well short of the Street’s $214.99 million estimate. Overall revenue slipped 2%.

Also Read: Manchester United CEO Vows Resilience After Club Lowers 2026 Revenue Outlook

Commercial revenue decreased 1.3% year-on-year due to changes in its commercial partner mix. Matchday revenue fell 1.1%.

Broadcasting revenue declined 4.5% primarily due to its men’s first team participating in the UEFA Europa League in the prior year quarter, with no UEFA competition in the current year quarter.

Profitability Metrics

The company clocked a quarterly operating profit of 13.0 million pounds compared to a loss of 6.9 million pounds in the same period last year.

Adjusted EBITDA reached 26.9 million pounds, a 13.5% increase.

The company reported a quarterly adjusted net loss of 2 cents per share, narrower than analysts’ projected loss of 9 cents.

Net finance costs swung to 21.4 million pounds from 8.6 million pounds in income a year earlier, driven by unfavorable FX movements that triggered unrealized losses on unhedged USD borrowings, versus gains in the prior period.

Management Commentary

Omar Berrada, CEO, highlighted that the difficult decisions taken over the past year have created a sustainably lower cost base and a more streamlined, efficient organization, positioning the club to improve both sporting and commercial performance over the long term. This approach has also enabled investment in the men’s and women’s teams, currently in sixth and third place in the Premier League and Women’s Super League, respectively.

Outlook

For fiscal 2026, Manchester United reiterated revenue between 640.00 million pounds and 660.00 million pounds, compared to the analysts’ expectations of 655.34 million pounds.

It also maintained its adjusted EBITDA guidance in the range of 180 million pounds to 200 million pounds.

MANU Price Action: Manchester United shares were down 0.13% at $15.37 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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