Havas Maintains Its Positive Momentum With a Solid First Quarter, Reporting a Net Revenue Organic Growth of +2.5%

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas (AEX:HAVAS), said: “Havas has started 2026 on a solid footing, continuing its momentum and delivering organic growth in net revenue of +2.5%. This performance, in line with our full year 2026 guidance, was driven in particular by continued strength in the US and reflects the resilience of our model and the quality of our recent new business wins across key markets. Building on the transformation delivered in recent years, we remain focused on disciplined execution, the continued deployment of our Converged strategy, and our commitment to empowering our teams through the roll-out of our AVA LLM portal and comprehensive training in AI and new technologies, further strengthening collaboration and value creation across the Group. While the environment remains uncertain, the fundamentals of our model and our ability to adapt with agility give us confidence in our capacity to deliver sustainable, profitable growth. I would like to thank our clients for their continued trust and recognize the commitment of our teams around the world, who play a central role in our success.”

FIRST QUARTER 2026 KEY FIGURES

For definitions of Alternative Performance Measures, or non-IFRS measures, please refer to the financial glossary, appended to this press release.

BUSINESS REVIEW

Havas recorded a strong level of activity during the first quarter of 2026.

Revenue reached €667 million, with organic growth³ of +2.8%, and net revenue⁴ amounted to €638 million, representing organic growth of +2.5% compared to the same period in 2025.

This organic growth confirms the overall vitality of the business, even though the comparison base was less favorable than last year.

Changes in the scope of consolidation⁵ had a positive impact of +1.7% on net revenue, while changes in foreign exchange rates⁶ (notably US dollar and British pound) had a negative impact of -5.8%, compared to the first quarter of 2025.

NET REVENUE AND ORGANIC GROWTH IN NET REVENUE BY GEOGRAPHICAL REGION

Europe (50% of net revenue): In the first quarter of 2026, net revenue grew by +1.1% on an organic basis compared to the same period in 2025. France achieved a good level of organic performance, supported primarily by Havas Media thanks to contributions from recent wins, while the United Kingdom remained stable. Performance across the remainder of Europe was consistent with the regional average.

North America (36% of net revenue): The region recorded a very strong start to the year with organic growth of +7.4%, versus the same period in 2025. This performance was mainly driven by Havas Creative (Havas New York, Arnold, and Uncommon) and Havas Media (Havas Media US and Havas Edge Performance) divisions, thanks to the numerous client budgets won last year, which have gained momentum since the start of this year. Havas Health was slightly negative for this quarter.

APAC & Africa (8% of net revenue): Organic growth came in at -6.2% compared to the same period in 2025; all divisions recorded negative performance, and especially Havas Media (loss of a couple of clients last year in China and Singapore).

Latin America (6% of net revenue): The region saw a nearly stable quarter, with organic growth slightly decreasing by 0.6%, notably due to the Media division and despite strong performance in Havas Creative.

FIRST QUARTER 2026 HIGHLIGHTS

Client business momentum

In the first quarter of 2026, Havas continued to record solid new business activity amid a still uncertain macroeconomic environment, while further strengthening and expanding relationships with existing clients through both retention and in‑business growth.

Acquisitions (majority stakes)

During first quarter 2026, Havas continued its bolt-on acquisition strategy, acquiring majority stakes in four agencies:

• Acento Public Affairs, Spain’s leading public affairs consultancy joined H/Advisors, the Group’s global communications and public affairs advisory network, strengthening advisory services in Spain and Portugal;
• Ctrl Digital, one of Sweden’s leading specialists in measurement, analytics, and data activation joined CSA, Havas Media Network’s global technology, data, and analytics consultancy marking CSA’s official launch in Sweden and the Nordics;
• Styleheads, a leading Berlin-based agency, recognized for its strengths in cultural marketing, creator relations, and live activations joined Havas Media Network in Germany to expand the capabilities of Havas’ global Play network;
• Eyesight, a world-renowned, independent French agency specializing in the creation and production of tailormade fashion shows and events for luxury brands, joined Maison BETC.

Recognition for Havas

Havas maintained its position as a top-ranked holding company in the WARC Creative 100 for the sixth consecutive year. For the first time, Havas placed three agencies in the Top 50: BETC, Havas Paris, and Havas India, marking the first time an APAC agency from the Group achieved this recognition. The Group also achieved unprecedented geographic diversity with campaigns from three regions, APAC, EMEA, and LATAM, ranking in the Top 100, including debut appearances from India, Mexico, and Spain.

OUTLOOK

Exposure to the Middle East

Havas has modest exposure to the Middle East. The Group operates in Dubai, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, representing a weighted 1.9% of 2025 Group net revenue.

The Group has a diversified client portfolio across all economic sectors in the region. While tourism and transportation sectors are more sensitive to political and military developments, other sectors such as consumer goods demonstrate greater resilience.

Following recent events in the Middle East, the Group has determined that these events do not have material impact on its financial statements.

The Group will continue to monitor the situation and will take any necessary action should circumstances evolve.

Guidance

Against a backdrop of ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, Havas enters the remainder of 2026 with solid fundamentals, supported by the strength of its integrated, client‑centric model, its diversified geographic footprint and sustained business momentum. The Group remains focused on disciplined execution and confident in its ability to convert opportunities into long‑term value creation, supported by strong fundamentals and enduring client relationships.

In this context, Havas confirms its guidance for fiscal year 2026:

• Organic growth in net revenue of between +2.0% and +3.0%;
• Adjusted EBIT margin⁷ of between 13.2% and 13.5%;
• Dividend payout ratio⁸ of around 40%.

Moreover, the Group intends to pursue its strategy of bolt-on and targeted acquisitions by acquiring five to ten majority stakes in 2026.

The Group also confirms its medium-term financial targets for fiscal year 2028:

• Adjusted EBIT margin of between 14.0% and 15.0%;
• Dividend payout ratio of around 40%.

SHARE BUYBACK UPDATE

During the first quarter of 2026, 356,269 shares were bought back at an average price of €16.39 per share.

From the beginning of the program (June 2, 2025) until March 31, 2026, 2,014, 060 shares have been bought back at an average price of €15.25 per share.

OTHER INFORMATION

Change in Havas N.V.’s shareholding structure

Compagnie de l’Etoile des Mers, controlled by Bolloré Participations, strengthened its stake in Havas N.V. In addition, Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas N.V. transferred YB6 to Compagnie de l’Etoile des Mers, in order to group together their shareholdings in Havas N.V.

Upon completion of these transactions, Compagnie de l’Etoile des Mers held approximately 22% of the share capital of Havas N.V. and Yannick Bolloré was appointed Chairman of Compagnie de l’Etoile des Mers.

As of February 19, 2026, all of the Bolloré entities held 53% of the share capital of Havas N.V. For more detailed information, please refer to the AFM filling dated February 19, 2026.

Financial investment in Louis Hachette Group shares

From March 23, 2026, to March 31, 2026, inclusive, Havas N.V. bought 5,750,808 Louis Hachette Group shares on the market (code ALHG, listed on the French market Euronext Growth) at a gross average price of €1,4744 per share, for a total gross amount of close to €8.5 million. This represented 0.58% of Louis Hachette Group share capital.

At Havas level, this is a small, non-material financial investment, made in response to a market opportunity. It represents a financially attractive move, with no impact on our strategy, our guidance, or our disciplined approach to capital allocation.

SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

The Havas N.V. Annual Shareholders’ Meeting will be held on May 13, 2026, at 9:00 am CEST at Pulitzer Hotel, Prinsengracht 323, 1016 GZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and will be broadcast on the Havas website.

The information related to the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting is available on the Havas website: www.havas.com/investor-relations-shareholders/2026-annual-general-meeting.

The relevant dates for the payment of the dividend are expected to be as follows:

• Ex-dividend date: May 15, 2026
• Record date: May 18, 2026
• Dividend payment date: May 21, 2026

ANALYST CONFERENCE CALL

Speaker: François Laroze, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Havas
Date: April 14, 2026, at 6:00 pm Paris time – 5:00 pm London time – 12:00 pm New York time.
The conference call will be held in English.
Audio webcast link and slides of the presentation will be available on the Company’s website at https://www.havas.com/investor-relations-shareholders/financial-press-releases-presentations

FINANCIAL CALENDAR

Upcoming financial publications:

• Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: May 13, 2026
• 2026 half year results: July 23, 2026
• 2026 third quarter revenue: October 13, 2026

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About Havas

Founded in 1835 in Paris, Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups, with nearly 23,000 people in over 100 countries. With the ambition to help brands unlock Growth, Powered by Desire, Havas brings together creativity, media, technology and production capabilities to build strong, desirable brands that people genuinely want to engage with. Its integrated model is supported by Converged.AI, the Group’s operating system that unifies data, technology and AI to deliver optimized, scalable marketing solutions across the full customer journey. AI-driven, fueled by human ingenuity, and grounded in the belief that desire drives both brand performance and business outcomes, Havas teams collaborate within Havas Villages worldwide to cultivate reputation, relevance and long‑term preference for clients. Havas is equally committed to its people, fostering inclusive, responsible and inspiring workplaces where talent can thrive, because desire also starts from within. Further information is available at www.havas.com.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES

This press release is published by Havas N.V. and may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, as amended.

Certain statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans, expectations or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause the Havas Group’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Please refer to Chapter 5, “Risk Factors” of the 2025 Annual Report of Havas N.V. dated March, 31 2026 and available at www.havas.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/annual-report-2025.pdf for a description of certain important factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect the Havas Group’s business and/or results of operations. Havas N.V. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws and regulations.

The financial information included in this press release has not been audited and has not been subject to any limited review by Havas N.V.’s statutory auditors.

This press release refers to certain non-IFRS financial measures, or alternative performance measures, used by Havas N.V. in analyzing operating trends, financial performance and financial position of the Havas Group and providing investors with additional information considered useful and relevant regarding the results of the Havas Group. These alternative performance measures are not recognized measures under IFRS or any other generally accepted accounting standards, and they generally have no standardized meaning and therefore may not be comparable to similarly labelled measures used by other companies. As a result, none of these alternative performance measures should be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the financial statements and related notes prepared by Havas N.V. in accordance with IFRS. For a definition of these alternative performance measures, please refer to the financial glossary appended to this press release and the “Definitions of alternative performance measures” section in the Appendix of the 2025 Annual Report.

APPENDIX

Q1 2026 DETAILED FIGURES

CALCULATION OF ORGANIC GROWTH AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE IMPACT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2026

FINANCIAL GLOSSARY

¹ Net revenue, organic growth, and scope impact are non-IFRS measures defined in the financial glossary appended to this press release.
² See disclaimers appended to this press release.
³ Organic growth. See definition in the financial glossary appended to this press release.
⁴ Net revenue. See definition in the financial glossary appended to this press release.
⁵ Scope effect. See definition in the financial glossary appended to this press release.
⁶ Forex effect. See definition in the financial glossary appended to this press release.
⁷ Adjusted EBIT margin. See definition in the financial glossary appended to this press release.
⁸ Dividend payout ratio. See definition in the financial glossary appended to this press release.