Shares in 4imprint surged on Tuesday after the promotional products group raised its full-year outlook, telling investors it now expects revenue of at least $1.32 billion and pre-tax profit of at least $142 million.

The shares were up 15.4% at 3,930p at 10:05 GMT after the FTSE 250 company published a trading update covering the first ten months of the year, described by Sharecast as a "resilient" performance.

4imprint, a direct marketer of promotional products such as branded pens, mugs and clothing, said group revenue in the ten months to the end of October dipped 2% on the same period a year earlier.

Outlook raised despite softer orders

The upgraded forecasts sit at the high end of the current range of analyst expectations for revenue, and above the range for pre-tax profit.

Order intake has continued to run about 3% below the prior year, with average order values in line with last year. New customer order numbers were down 13%, a continuation of the performance seen in the first half, while existing customer orders were flat over the year to date.

Gross profit margin has remained strong at just below 33%, the company said, as product cost increases linked to tariffs are being phased in later than anticipated, while the marketing mix is providing flexibility. As a result, a double-digit operating profit margin has been maintained.

First-half trading

The update follows a first half in which 4imprint's revenues for the six months ended 28 June fell 1% year on year to $659.4 million, while operating profit edged up 1% to $70.7 million.

Free cash flow jumped 26.2% to $74.6 million in the half, although cash reserves fell 16% to $102.3 million after the company paid out $119.9 million in final and special dividends to shareholders.

Chairman Paul Moody said the board was confident the group could navigate current market conditions and deliver the strongest possible near-term results.

4imprint's investor relations page confirmed that the company would release its trading update on 10 November.

What to watch next

The rise also recovered ground lost after the half-year results, when the shares fell 4.4% to 3,455.86p in early trading on the day those figures were published.

Investors will now watch whether the company can stabilise new customer orders, which have fallen through the year, and how tariff-related costs feed through as suppliers phase them in.

The company reports its results in US dollars and its shares are listed in London. The next scheduled update is a full-year trading update in January 2027.