London, May 1, 2026, 15:21 (BST)
Rightmove plc slipped 1.4% to 427.30 pence in London afternoon trading, MarketScreener data showed, as investors shrugged off a recent voting-rights disclosure and instead focused on the upcoming trading update—the first since Rightmove was hit by a £1.5 billion estate-agent lawsuit in April.
Timing is key here. Rightmove’s update lands May 8, right on the heels of a shift in UK housing sentiment: Nationwide reported an unexpected uptick in house prices for April, and Bank of England numbers put mortgage approvals — often a bellwether for home sales — at their highest since November.
Rightmove reported Friday that its issued share capital totaled 764.2 million ordinary shares as of April 30. Of that, 10.6 million shares sit in treasury—meaning they don’t come with voting rights. That leaves 753.5 million shares with voting rights in play for shareholder disclosures.
On Thursday, the company repurchased 257,898 shares at a volume-weighted average of 434.900 pence each, executing the trade through UBS AG London Branch. Those shares are set to be cancelled, according to the company, pushing the running total under its 2007-initiated buyback programme to 554.9 million shares.
The company plans to release a trading update at 7 a.m. on May 8. That same day, shareholders will gather for the annual general meeting at UBS’s Broadgate offices in London, where a vote on the proposed final dividend of 6.59 pence per share is also on the agenda.
Investors are set to weigh the update against February’s guidance. Back then, Rightmove projected 2026 revenue would climb 8% to 10%, with average revenue per advertiser—essentially the monthly ad spend per agency or developer—gaining between £110 and £120. Underlying operating profit growth was pegged at 3% to 5%, factoring in heavier spending on product and artificial intelligence.
Rightmove CEO Johan Svanstrom in February pointed to fresh product launches, better data and network effects as reasons the firm stepped into 2026 “with confidence in our performance.” The company posted 2025 revenue of £425.1 million, a 9% increase, with operating profit rising 12% to £287.9 million. Property Industry Eye
Rightmove still holds its ground as the main UK property portal among agents and developers. According to its annual report, users racked up 16.8 billion minutes on its site and apps in 2025. The company reported that over 80% of the time people spend on UK property portals happens on Rightmove, pitting its audience figures against rivals like Zoopla and OnTheMarket.
The very reach that powers Rightmove is where the danger lies. A new filing with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal accuses Rightmove of abusing its dominance, slapping agents and developers with excessive subscription costs. Rightmove has dismissed the case as “meritless” and says it plans to fight the allegations. Jeremy Newman, who previously served on the Competition and Markets Authority panel and is now leading the suit, called agent support “extremely encouraging.” Reuters
Market risk can’t be ignored here. Robert Gardner, chief economist at Nationwide, described the housing upturn in April as “somewhat surprising,” especially with consumer confidence still under pressure. Rob Wood at Pantheon Macroeconomics spoke to Reuters, predicting house-price inflation of only 1.0% in the fourth quarter, assuming mortgage rates track market expectations. Reuters
May 8 looms as the next key hurdle. Investors are watching for evidence that agent membership, new-homes advertising, and ARPA continue to perform — not just buybacks driving the numbers, with litigation and steeper mortgage costs still simmering in the background.
