(Reuters) -Rightmove on Friday forecast slower profit growth in 2026, weighed down by investments it expects to make, primarily in artificial intelligence, as it seeks to bolster operations in the long term.
Shares of Britain’s biggest property portal fell 25% in early trading.
“AI is now becoming absolutely central to how we run our business and plan for the future,” CEO Johan Svanstrom said in a statement, adding that for 2026 to 2028, the company will accelerate investment to support double-digit growth in profit.
In 2026, the company expects to invest about 18 million pounds ($24.2 million) in various initiatives.
The company forecast 2026 underlying operating profit growth of 3% to 5%, slower than the 9% growth at the end of the first half of 2025.
“We believe today’s investment announcement positions the business to stay ahead of the curve by enhancing its proposition and unlocking future monetisation potential,” Peel Hunt analysts said in a note.
Analysts at Jefferies said that the market will focus on the incoming pressure on profit and how the company plans to reverse it going forward.
Revenue in 2026 is expected to grow at between 8% and 10%, a rate similar to 2025, Rightmove said.
($1 = 0.7451 pounds)
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)
