In the first half year of 2025, as part of a share buyback program, Publicis Groupe S.A. repurchased 1,610,899 of its shares for euro 149 million (euro 150 million including the financial transaction tax). The objective of this program is to meet the obligations related to the current free share plans for employees, without issuing new shares.
During the first half of 2024, as part of a share buyback program, Publicis Groupe S.A. repurchased 1,031,711 of its shares for euro 99 million (euro 101 million including the financial transaction tax). The objective of this program was to meet the obligations related to the current free share plans for employees, without issuing new shares.
In addition, in June 2024, Publicis Groupe S.A. acquired a block of 150,000 of its own shares for an amount of euro 15 million from shareholder Ms. Sophie Dulac. These shares were also be used to meet the Company’s obligations under current employee free share plans without issuing new shares. The transaction price was euro 100.09 per share repurchased, representing a discount of 1% compared to the closing market price of euro 101.10 on June 13, 2024. This transaction constituted a transaction with a related party (see Note 33).
Another separate buyback operation took place in July 2024, involving 300,000 treasury shares for euro 29 million. These shares were also used to cover the Company’s obligations under current employee free share plans without issuing new shares.
| Per share (in euros) | Total (1) (in millions of euros) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dividends paid in 2025 (for the 2024 financial year) | Dividends paid in 2025 (for the 2024 financial year) Per share (in euros)3.60 |
Dividends paid in 2025 (for the 2024 financial year) Total (1) (in millions of euros)903 |
| Dividends proposed to the General Shareholders’ Meeting (for the 2025 financial year) | Dividends proposed to the General Shareholders’ Meeting (for the 2025 financial year) Per share (in euros)3.75 |
Dividends proposed to the General Shareholders’ Meeting (for the 2025 financial year) Total (1) (in millions of euros)954 |
The Groupe’s policy is to maintain a solid capital base in order to maintain the confidence of investors, creditors and the market and to support future activity development. The Groupe’s management pays particular attention to the debt-to-equity ratio, which is defined as net debt (financial debt less cash and cash equivalents) divided by equity (including non-controlling interests), and has calculated that the ideal debt-to-equity ratio is less than 0.80.
As of December 31, 2025, the net debt position is a positive cash position. It was the same situation as of December 31, 2024.
Management also monitors the dividend payout rate, which is defined as the ratio between the dividend per share and the diluted headline earnings per share. Given the level of dividend (euro 3.75 per share) that will be proposed to the next General Shareholders’ Meeting, the rate will be 50.1% for financial year 2025 compared to 49.3% for financial year 2024.
