Wolters Kluwer 2025 Full-Year Report
Rhea-AI Summary
Wolters Kluwer (WTKWY) reported 2025 revenues of €6,125 million, +7% in constant currencies and +6% organic. Adjusted operating profit was €1,687 million (margin 27.5%). Diluted adjusted EPS was €5.29 (+9% CC). Adjusted free cash flow was €1,348 million.
The company proposed a €2.52 dividend (+8%) and announced a 2026 share buyback program of up to €500 million (€100 million completed to date). Net debt was €4,024 million (net-debt/EBITDA ~2.0x). management plans higher product development spend (12-13% of revenues) to accelerate AI.
Positive
- Revenues €6,125m; +7% in constant currencies
- Adjusted operating profit €1,687m; margin 27.5%
- Diluted adjusted EPS €5.29; +9% in constant currencies
- Adjusted free cash flow €1,348m; +10% in constant currencies
- Share buybacks: €1.1bn completed in 2025 and up to €500m announced for 2026
- Proposed dividend €2.52 per share; +8% year-over-year
Negative
- Net debt increased 28% to €4,024m
- Adjusted net financing costs rose (2025: €86m) and are expected ~€110m in 2026
- Full-year 2026 cash conversion ratio guided lower at 95%-100% versus 103% in 2025
Wolters Kluwer 2025 Full-Year Report
Alphen aan den Rijn, February 25, 2026 – Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information solutions, software and services, today releases its full-year 2025 results.
Highlights
- Revenues
€6,125 million , up7% in constant currencies and up6% organically.
- Recurring revenues (
83% of total revenues) up7% organically; non-recurring down1% . - Cloud software revenues (
21% of total revenues) up15% organically. - Print reduced organic growth by 50 basis points.
- Adjusted operating profit
€1,687 million , up9% in constant currencies.
- Adjusted operating profit
- Adjusted operating profit margin increased 40 basis points to
27.5% .- Diluted adjusted EPS
€5.29 , up9% in constant currencies. - Adjusted free cash flow
€1,348 million , up10% in constant currencies. - Net-debt-to-EBITDA of 2.0x.
- Proposed 2025 dividend
€2.52 per share, an increase of8% . - Announcing 2026 share buyback of up to
€500 million , of which€100 million completed in 2026 to date. - Outlook 2026: We expect another year of good organic growth, margin increase, and high single-digit growth in diluted adjusted EPS in constant currencies.
- Diluted adjusted EPS
Full-Year Report of the Executive Board
Nancy McKinstry, Retiring CEO and Chair of the Executive Board, commented: “We delivered good organic growth and margin improvement, supported by our expert solutions and other advanced digital platforms. Nearly
Stacey Caywood, Designated CEO and Chair of the Executive Board, added: “I am excited to lead Wolters Kluwer at a time when AI technology offers us new growth opportunities. We have a distinct advantage in our combination of trusted content, modular and integrated platforms, and market-leading, expert-validated AI, enabling us to create significant value for customers and shareholders. My immediate priority is to accelerate our AI offerings, expand partnerships, and intensify our go-to-market capabilities. We plan to step up product development spend in 2026, while simultaneously delivering a further margin increase.”
| Key Figures – Year ended December 31 | ||||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG | |
| Business performance – benchmark figures | ||||||
| Revenues | 6,125 | 5,916 | + | + | + | |
| Adjusted operating profit | 1,687 | 1,600 | + | + | + | |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | ||||||
| Adjusted net profit | 1,225 | 1,185 | + | + | ||
| Diluted adjusted EPS (€) | 5.29 | 4.97 | + | + | ||
| Adjusted free cash flow | 1,348 | 1,276 | + | + | ||
| Net debt | 4,024 | 3,134 | + | |||
| ROIC | ||||||
| IFRS reported results | ||||||
| Revenues | 6,125 | 5,916 | + | |||
| Operating profit | 1,735 | 1,441 | + | |||
| Profit for the period | 1,308 | 1,079 | + | |||
| Diluted EPS (€) | 5.64 | 4.52 | + | |||
| Net cash from operating activities | 1,668 | 1,654 | + | |||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | ||||||
Full-year 2026 outlook
Our guidance for full-year 2026 is provided in the table below. We expect another year of good organic growth, a further margin increase, and high single-digit growth in diluted adjusted EPS in constant currencies. We expect the full-year adjusted operating profit margin to increase while we simultaneously increase annual product development spending to 12
| Full-Year 2026 Outlook | ||
| Performance indicators | 2026 Guidance | 2025 Actual |
| Adjusted operating profit margin* | Approximately | |
| Adjusted free cash flow** | ||
| ROIC* | 18 | |
| Diluted adjusted EPS growth** | High single-digit growth | |
| *Guidance for adjusted operating profit margin and ROIC is in reporting currency and assumes an average EUR/USD rate in 2026 of €/ | ||
In 2025, Wolters Kluwer generated nearly
Restructuring costs are included in adjusted operating profit. We expect 2026 restructuring costs to be in the range of
Our guidance assumes no additional significant change to the scope of operations. We may make further acquisitions or disposals which can be dilutive to margins, earnings, and ROIC in the near term.
2026 Outlook by division
Health: We expect full-year 2026 organic growth to be in line with prior year (FY 2025:
Tax & Accounting: We expect full-year 2026 organic growth to be in line with prior year (FY 2025:
Financial & Corporate Compliance: We expect full-year 2026 organic growth to be ahead of prior year (FY 2025:
Legal Regulatory: We expect full-year 2026 organic growth to be ahead of prior year (FY 2025:
Corporate Performance & ESG: We expect full-year 2026 organic growth to be ahead of prior year (FY 2025:
Strategy Update
We reaffirm the core elements of our 2025-2027 strategy, but plan to accelerate the pace of AI innovation to capture market opportunities. We will increase our annual investment in product development into the range of 12
Approximately
In addition to accelerating our AI offerings, our near-term priorities are to foster and scale our strategic partnerships and to intensify our go-to-market approach. Partnerships provide us with opportunities to extend our role in our customers’ end-to-end workflows. Stepping up our go-to-market approach will allow us to optimize value capture by using data-driven, scalable sales and revenue processes.
A more detailed description of our strategy and business model can be found in our forthcoming annual report.
Strategic Progress in 2025
In 2025, expert solutions accounted for
In Health, we launched UpToDate® Expert AI, adding an expert-validated conversational AI interface to our trusted clinical evidence to provide fast and transparent answers to complex medical queries and inform diagnostic decisions.
In Tax & Accounting, we launched CCH Axcess™ Expert AI, using agentic AI to automate complex workflows, enhance decision-making, and deliver productivity gains to our clients.
In Legal & Regulatory, the November 2025 acquisition of Libra has allowed us to move more rapidly into the AI workspace adjacency and support legal professionals with AI-powered drafting, review, and content creation, integrated with our core domain of AI-powered legal research.
The acquisitions of Registered Agent Solutions, Inc. (RASi) in Financial & Corporate Compliance and Brightflag in Legal & Regulatory augment our organic efforts to build out our positions in the higher-growth segments of the mid-sized corporate market for legal services and legal spend management solutions. Both acquisitions are delivering strong growth, ahead of initial expectations.
Financial policy, capital allocation, net debt, and liquidity
Capital allocation and target leverage range
We use our free cash flow to invest in the business organically and through acquisitions, to maintain optimal leverage, and to provide returns to shareholders. We regularly assess our financial position and evaluate the appropriate level of debt in view of our expectations for cash flow, investment plans, interest rates, and capital market conditions.
As we execute our strategic priorities, we aim to maintain leverage in the range of 1.5x to 2.5x. We may temporarily deviate from this range, as our high proportion of recurring revenues and resilient free cash flows give us the ability to rapidly return to this range.
Dividend policy and proposed final dividend 2025
Wolters Kluwer remains committed to a progressive dividend policy, under which we aim to increase the dividend per share in euros each year, independent of currency fluctuations. The payout ratio2 can therefore vary from year to year. Proposed annual increases in the dividend per share consider our financial performance, market conditions, and our need for financial flexibility. The policy considers the characteristics of our business, our expectations for future cash flows, and our plans for organic investment in innovation and productivity, or for acquisitions. We balance these factors with the objective of maintaining a strong balance sheet.
At the 2026 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, we will propose a final dividend of
Share buybacks 2025 and 2026
As a matter of policy since 2012, Wolters Kluwer will offset the dilution caused by our annual incentive share issuance with share repurchases (Anti-Dilution Policy). In addition, when appropriate, we return capital to shareholders through share buyback programs. Shares repurchased by the company are added to and held as treasury shares and are either cancelled or utilized to meet future obligations arising from share-based incentive plans.
In 2025, we completed total share repurchases of
Today, we announce our intention to repurchase shares for up to
Assuming global economic conditions do not deteriorate substantially, we believe this level of share buyback leaves us with sufficient liquidity to support our dividend plans, to sustain organic investment, and to make selective acquisitions. The share repurchase program may be suspended, discontinued, or modified at any time. For the period starting February 27, 2026, up to and including May 4, 2026, we have mandated a third party to execute
Full-Year 2025 Results
Benchmark figures
Group revenues were
Revenues from North America accounted for
Adjusted operating profit was
Investment in product development spending (including capitalized spend) was stable in constant currencies and amounted to
Adjusted net financing costs increased to
The benchmark tax rate on adjusted profit before tax increased to
Diluted adjusted EPS was
IFRS reported figures
Reported operating profit increased
Amortization and impairments of acquired identifiable intangible assets and goodwill increased
The reported effective tax rate was reduced to
Net profit for the year increased
Cash flow
Adjusted operating cash flow was
Net interest paid, excluding lease interest paid, increased to
Total acquisition spending, net of cash acquired and including transaction costs, was
Dividends paid amounted to
Net debt, leverage, credit facility, and liquidity
As of December 31, 2025, net debt was
Gross debt of
Sustainability
In 2025, we remained focused on attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining talent, in what remain competitive markets for skilled personnel. We implemented programs to support employee engagement, belonging, and well-being, including initiatives that help employees develop skills, build workplace connections, and strengthen their alignment with our strategy and purpose. Our employee engagement and belonging scores, measured by an independent third party, Microsoft Glint, were stable at 78 and 75, respectively, (2024: 78 and 75). The Glint Global Top
In 2025, our scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were reduced by
In 2025, we assessed the sustainability practices of 50 key suppliers and concluded that the majority of these suppliers demonstrate high carbon maturity with SBTi-validated targets or commitments in place. Many also have established social and governance practices.
In 2025, Wolters Kluwer retained the highest MSCI ESG rating of AAA for the 7th consecutive year (2019-2025) and was ranked in the leading
Divisional Review
Group organic revenue growth was
| Divisional Summary – Year ended December 31 | ||||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG | |
| Revenues | ||||||
| Health | 1,596 | 1,584 | + | + | + | |
| Tax & Accounting | 1,660 | 1,561 | + | + | + | |
| Financial & Corporate Compliance | 1,239 | 1,228 | + | + | + | |
| Legal & Regulatory | 1,005 | 946 | + | + | + | |
| Corporate Performance & ESG | 625 | 597 | + | + | + | |
| Total revenues | 6,125 | 5,916 | + | + | + | |
| Adjusted operating profit | ||||||
| Health | 512 | 480 | + | + | + | |
| Tax & Accounting | 584 | 519 | + | + | + | |
| Financial & Corporate Compliance | 437 | 433 | + | + | + | |
| Legal & Regulatory | 183 | 176 | + | + | + | |
| Corporate Performance & ESG | 48 | 61 | - | - | - | |
| Corporate | (77) | (69) | + | + | + | |
| Total adjusted operating profit | 1,687 | 1,600 | + | + | + | |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | ||||||
| Health | ||||||
| Tax & Accounting | ||||||
| Financial & Corporate Compliance | ||||||
| Legal & Regulatory | ||||||
| Corporate Performance & ESG | ||||||
| Total adjusted operating profit margin | ||||||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | ||||||
Total recurring revenues, which include subscriptions and other renewing revenue streams, accounted for
| Revenues by Type – Year ended December 31 | |||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Digital and service subscription | 4,700 | 4,458 | + | + | + |
| Print subscription | 117 | 125 | - | - | - |
| Other recurring | 293 | 285 | + | + | + |
| Total recurring revenues | 5,110 | 4,868 | + | + | + |
| Transactional – FCC | 343 | 336 | + | + | + |
| Transactional – Legal & Regulatory | 104 | 100 | + | + | + |
| Print books | 115 | 120 | - 25 | - | - |
| Other non-recurring | 453 | 492 | - | - | - |
| Total non-recurring revenues | 1,015 | 1,048 | - | - | |
| Total revenues | 6,125 | 5,916 | + | + | + |
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
Health
- Organic growth
5% , led by Clinical Solutions up7% organically. - Learning, Research & Practice grew
3% organically, led by nursing education solutions. - Margin primarily reflects operational gearing, ongoing mix shift, and efficiency programs.
| Health – Year ended December 31 | |||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Revenues | 1,596 | 1,584 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit | 512 | 480 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||
| Operating profit | 480 | 440 | + | ||
| Net capital expenditure | 41 | 43 | |||
| Ultimo FTEs | 3,571 | 3,401 | |||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
Health revenues increased
Adjusted operating profit increased
- Clinical Solutions (
57% of divisional revenues) delivered7% organic growth, in line with the prior year (FY 2024:7% ). Organic growth was driven by good renewal rates for UpToDate clinical decision support and drug data solutions by healthcare institutions globally. By the end of 2025, most of our largest U.S. institutional customers (enterprises) had been migrated to the UpToDate Enterprise platform. Our new GenAI conversational interface, UpToDate Expert AI, was commercially launched in October 2025 and is seeing rapid adoption by our Enterprise customers. We expanded our partnership with Abridge for clinical note taking. Our clinical surveillance, compliance, and terminology software solutions achieved good organic growth. - Learning, Research & Practice (
43% of divisional revenues) achieved3% organic growth (FY 2024:4% ). Excluding print, organic growth would have been7% (2024:5% ). Our medical research unit recorded3% organic growth (FY 2024:3% ), despite a challenging comparable relating to the New England Journal of Medicine reaching full scale digital distribution. Organic growth in Ovid subscriptions and open access fees were partly offset by declines in print subscriptions and advertising. In learning and practice, organic revenue was5% (FY 2024:6% ), driven by continued strong performance in our nursing education solutions, including Lippincott CoursePoint+ and Lippincott Ready for NCLEX. In December, we added Expert AI capabilities to CoursePoint+, adding AI-driven personalized improvement plans. Across Learning, Research & Practice, print book revenues declined7% (FY 2024:1% growth).
Tax & Accounting
- Organic growth
7% , with continued strong growth in North America and Europe. - Recurring revenues rose
7% organically, led by18% growth in cloud software. - Margin increase reflects operational gearing and cost efficiencies.
| Tax & Accounting – Year ended December 31 | |||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Revenues | 1,660 | 1,561 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit | 584 | 519 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||
| Operating profit | 557 | 497 | + | ||
| Net capital expenditure | 71 | 68 | |||
| Ultimo FTEs | 6,790 | 7,159 | |||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
Tax & Accounting revenues increased
IFRS operating profit increased
- Tax & Accounting North America (
58% of divisional revenues) delivered8% organic growth (FY 2024:8% ), driven by19% organic growth in our native cloud software suite, CCH Axcess. Firms continue to migrate to the cloud platform and adopt additional workflow modules. In October 2025, we launched several agentic AI modules that provide significant productivity benefits to firms. We enhanced our cloud-based audit suite, CCH Axcess Audit, with Expert AI capabilities and other features. Organic growth in outsourced professional services slowed against double-digit organic growth in FY 2024. Our U.S. publishing unit delivered solid single-digit organic growth, benefitting from strong print book sales. - Tax & Accounting Europe (
38% of divisional revenues) delivered8% organic growth (FY 2024:7% ), with strong performances across all regions. Organic growth was supported by17% organic growth in cloud and hybrid-cloud software solutions. Cloud-based financial workflow and pre-accounting solutions (acquired from Isabel Group in 2024) delivered strong double-digit growth in 2025. CCH iFirm, a global cloud-based practice management and compliance software platform, was launched in the UK and Scandinavia under local branding. - Tax & Accounting Asia Pacific & Rest of World (
4% of divisional revenues) revenues were broadly stable organically (FY 2024:1% ), with growth in Australia and New Zealand offset by weakness in China. In the fourth quarter, our tax research platform CCH iKnowConnect added Expert AI capabilities.
Financial & Corporate Compliance
- Organic growth
3% , led by Legal Services. - Recurring revenues grew
4% organically; non-recurring revenues were broadly stable. - Margin stable, supported by cost efficiencies.
| Financial & Corporate Compliance – Year ended December 31 | |||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Revenues | 1,239 | 1,228 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit | 437 | 433 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||
| Operating profit | 625 | 398 | + | ||
| Net capital expenditure | 63 | 77 | |||
| Ultimo FTEs | 3,126 | 3,917 | |||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
Financial & Corporate Compliance revenues increased
The adjusted operating profit margin was broadly stable, supported by cost efficiencies. IFRS operating profit included a
- Our Legal Services group (
55% of divisional revenues) delivered4% organic growth (FY 2024:7% ). Recurring service subscriptions grew5% organically (FY 2024:7% ), while transactional revenues grew3% organically (FY 2024:8% ). As expected, the suspension of the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) in March 2025 resulted in lower recurring and non-recurring revenues from our beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting solution. Other corporate transactions also remained subdued. Recently acquired RASi delivered strong growth and expands our opportunities in the mid-sized U.S. corporate market. - In Financial Services (
45% of divisional revenues) organic growth was1% (FY 2024:2% pro forma). Recurring revenues increased3% organically (FY 2024:5% pro forma), while non-recurring revenues declined2% (FY 2024:2% pro forma decline). Lien transactions declined while other lending transactions and non-recurring revenues remained subdued. On December 1, 2025, the divestment of Finance, Risk & Reporting unit was completed.
Legal & Regulatory
- Organic growth
5% , with8% growth in digital and services subscriptions in Europe and the U.S. - Software businesses grew
5% organically, led by practice management software. - Margin reflects strong underlying improvement and the absence of prior year pension gain.
| Legal & Regulatory – Year ended December 31 | |||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Revenues | 1,005 | 946 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit | 183 | 176 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||
| Operating profit | 134 | 145 | - | ||
| Net capital expenditure | 54 | 53 | |||
| Ultimo FTEs | 4,388 | 4,147 | |||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
Legal & Regulatory revenues increased
Adjusted operating profit increased
- Legal & Regulatory Information Solutions (
76% of divisional revenues) revenues grew6% in constant currencies and5% on an organic basis (FY 2024:5% ). Excluding print, organic growth was7% (FY 2024:7% ). Digital information solutions and services subscriptions grew8% organically (FY 2024:7% ) in the U.S. and Europe, driven by strong new sales, renewals, and upselling. During the year, we continued to enhance legal research platforms with AI functionality. In November, we acquired Libra Technology in Germany and began integrating the Libra legal AI assistant into our authoritative, proprietary legal content ahead of Europe-wide roll-out in 2026. - Legal & Regulatory Software (
24% of divisional revenues) recorded5% organic growth (FY 2024:6% ). ELM Solutions (Tymetrix® 360° and Passport®) sustained mid-single-digit organic growth, driven by9% organic growth in transactional fees linked to legal spend volumes. TyMetrix® 360° was enhanced with analytics and AI-powered legal matter summaries. In June, we acquired Brightflag, which provides enterprise legal spend management software to mid-size and large corporations globally. Our legal practice management solutions, Kleos and Legisway, delivered steady high single-digit organic growth.
Corporate Performance & ESG
- Organic growth
7% , driven by recurring cloud software revenues up18% . - Recurring revenues (
74% of division) grew13% organically; non-recurring declined7% . - Margin reflects lower license fees and a higher share of services delivered by third parties.
| Corporate Performance & ESG – Year ended December 31 | |||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Revenues | 625 | 597 | + | + | + |
| Adjusted operating profit | 48 | 61 | - | - | - |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||
| Operating profit | 16 | 30 | - | ||
| Net capital expenditure | 74 | 72 | |||
| Ultimo FTEs | 2,551 | 2,428 | |||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
Corporate Performance & ESG revenues increased
Adjusted operating profit declined
- EHS & ESG6 revenues (
31% of divisional revenues) grew10% organically (FY 2024:15% ), driven by19% organic growth in recurring cloud revenues reflecting new customer additions and upselling. Non-recurring on-premise software license fees and services revenues were broadly stable. - In Corporate Performance (
69% of division), the CCH Tagetik® corporate performance management platform recorded5% organic growth (FY 2024: flat), driven by19% organic growth in recurring cloud revenues (FY 2024:18% ). CCH Tagetik® gained over 200 new customers globally. Existing customers adopted additional modules (e.g. CSRD reporting) or upgraded to the AI-powered CCH Tagetik Intelligent Platform. Our corporate tax unit (CCH SureTax®) delivered robust organic growth. Audit & Assurance (TeamMate) delivered robust organic growth, driven by double-digit organic growth in recurring cloud software revenues.
On January 9, 2026, the Audit & Assurance unit acquired StandardFusion, a Canadian provider of risk and control tools, which will be integrated with TeamMate.
Corporate
Net corporate expenses increased
| Corporate – Year ended December 31 | |||||
| € million (unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Adjusted operating profit | (77) | (69) | + | + | + |
| Operating profit | (77) | (69) | + | ||
| Net capital expenditure | 0 | 0 | |||
| Ultimo FTEs | 141 | 148 | |||
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024
The full-year figures for 2025 and 2024 in this report are derived from the 2025 consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with IFRS and which will be published on March 11, 2026.
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Total Equity
Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss
(in millions of euros, unless otherwise stated)
| Note | Full year | ||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Revenues | 4 | 6,125 | 5,916 |
| Cost of revenues | (1,625) | (1,626) | |
| Gross profit | 4,500 | 4,290 | |
| Sales costs | (975) | (969) | |
| General and administrative costs | (1,995) | (1,870) | |
| Total operating expenses | (2,970) | (2,839) | |
| Other gains and (losses) | 3 | 205 | (10) |
| Operating profit | 1,735 | 1,441 | |
| Financing results | (88) | (65) | |
| Share of profit of equity-accounted associates, net of tax | 2 | 2 | |
| Profit before tax | 1,649 | 1,378 | |
| Income tax expense | (341) | (299) | |
| Profit for the year | 1,308 | 1,079 | |
| Attributable to: | |||
| 1,308 | 1,079 | |
| 0 | 0 | |
| Profit for the year | 1,308 | 1,079 | |
| Earnings per share (EPS) (€) | |||
| Basic EPS | 5 | 5.66 | 4.54 |
| Diluted EPS | 5 | 5.64 | 4.52 |
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
(in millions of euros)
| Full Year | ||
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Comprehensive income | ||
| Profit for the year | 1,308 | 1,079 |
| Other comprehensive income | ||
| Items that are or may be reclassified subsequently to the statement of profit or loss: | ||
| Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations | (445) | 227 |
| Exchange differences on translation of equity-accounted associates | (1) | 0 |
| Recycling of foreign exchange differences on loss of control | 4 | (1) |
| Net gains/(losses) on hedges of net investments | 27 | (12) |
| Net gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges | (7) | (7) |
| Items that will not be reclassified to the statement of profit or loss: | ||
| Remeasurements on defined benefit plans | 4 | (5) |
| Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the year, before tax | (418) | 202 |
| Income tax on items that are or may be reclassified subsequently to the statement of profit or loss | 1 | 4 |
| Income tax on items that will not be reclassified to the statement of profit or loss | (1) | 1 |
| Income tax on other comprehensive income | 0 | 5 |
| Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the year, net of tax | (418) | 207 |
| Total comprehensive income for the year | 890 | 1,286 |
| Attributable to: | ||
| 890 | 1,285 |
| 0 | 1 |
| Total comprehensive income for the year | 890 | 1,286 |
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
(in millions of euros)
| Note | Full Year | |||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Cash flows from operating activities | ||||
| Profit for the year | 1,308 | 1,079 | ||
| Adjustments for: | ||||
| Income tax expense | 341 | 299 | ||
| Share of profit of equity-accounted associates, net of tax | (2) | (2) | ||
| Financing results | 88 | 65 | ||
| Amortization, impairments, and depreciation | 477 | 479 | ||
| Book (profit)/loss on disposal of operations and non-current assets | (250) | (5) | ||
| Fair value changes of contingent considerations | 0 | 0 | ||
| Additions to and releases of provisions | 16 | 14 | ||
| Appropriation of provisions | (8) | (9) | ||
| Changes in employee benefit provisions | 0 | (24) | ||
| Share-based payments | 26 | 31 | ||
| Autonomous movements in working capital | 104 | 82 | ||
| Other adjustments | 5 | 5 | ||
| Total adjustments | 797 | 935 | ||
| Interest paid and received (including the interest portion of lease payments) | (79) | (42) | ||
| Paid income tax | (358) | (318) | ||
| Net cash from operating activities | 1,668 | 1,654 | ||
| Cash flows from investing activities | ||||
| Net capital expenditure | (303) | (313) | ||
| Acquisition spending, net of cash acquired 6 | (871) | (335) | ||
| Receipts from divestments, net of cash disposed 6 | 399 | 1 | ||
| Dividends received | 1 | 1 | ||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (774) | (646) | ||
| Cash flows from financing activities | ||||
| Repayment of loans | (1,098) | (738) | ||
| Proceeds from new loans | 1,925 | 1,237 | ||
| Repayment of principal portion of lease liabilities | (58) | (62) | ||
| Collateral received/(paid) | (10) | (2) | ||
| Repurchased shares | (1,096) | (1,000) | ||
| Cash used for settlement of net investment hedges | 23 | (6) | ||
| Dividends paid | (563) | (521) | ||
| Net cash used in financing activities | (877) | (1,086) | ||
| Net cash flow before effect of exchange differences | 17 | (84) | ||
| Exchange differences on cash and cash equivalents and bank overdrafts | (71) | 40 | ||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents less bank overdrafts | (54) | (44) | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents less bank overdrafts at January 1 | 945 | 989 | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents less bank overdrafts at December 31 | 891 | 945 | ||
| Add: Bank overdrafts at December 31 | 41 | 9 | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents in the statement of financial position at December 31 | 932 | 954 | ||
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
(in millions of euros)
| Note | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | |||
| Non-current assets | |||||
| Goodwill | 4,787 | 4,710 | |||
| Intangible assets other than goodwill | 1,825 | 1,735 | |||
| Property, plant, and equipment | 68 | 79 | |||
| Right-of-use assets | 196 | 214 | |||
| Investments in equity-accounted associates | 14 | 13 | |||
| Financial assets and other receivables | 11 | 16 | |||
| Non-current contract assets | 19 | 18 | |||
| Deferred tax assets | 31 | 56 | |||
| Total non-current assets | 6,951 | 6,841 | |||
| Current assets | |||||
| Inventories | 62 | 79 | |||
| Contract assets | 147 | 148 | |||
| Trade and other receivables | 1,389 | 1,394 | |||
| Current income tax assets | 103 | 82 | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 932 | 954 | |||
| Total current assets | 2,633 | 2,657 | |||
| Total assets | 9,584 | 9,498 | |||
| Equity | |||||
| Issued share capital | 28 | 29 | |||
| Share premium reserve | 87 | 87 | |||
| Other reserves | 683 | 1,429 | |||
| Equity attributable to owners of the company | 798 | 1,545 | |||
| Non-controlling interests | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total equity | 798 | 1,545 | |||
| Non-current liabilities | |||||
| Long-term debt, excl. lease liabilities | 7 | 4,033 | 3,484 | ||
| Lease liabilities | 7 | 160 | 179 | ||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 328 | 324 | |||
| Employee benefits | 62 | 67 | |||
| Provisions | 5 | 5 | |||
| Non-current deferred income | 140 | 110 | |||
| Total non-current liabilities | 4,728 | 4,169 | |||
| Current liabilities | |||||
| Deferred income | 1,911 | 2,054 | |||
| Other contract liabilities | 88 | 76 | |||
| Trade and other payables | 1,118 | 1,087 | |||
| Current income tax liabilities | 130 | 117 | |||
| Short-term provisions | 33 | 28 | |||
| Borrowings and bank overdrafts | 7 | 221 | 359 | ||
| Short-term bonds | 7 | 500 | ‒ | ||
| Short-term lease liabilities | 7 | 57 | 63 | ||
| Total current liabilities | 4,058 | 3,784 | |||
| Total liabilities | 8,786 | 7,953 | |||
| Total equity and liabilities | 9,584 | 9,498 | |||
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Total Equity
(in millions of euros)
| 2025 | |||
| Equity attributable to the owners of the company | Non-controlling interests | Total equity | |
| Balance at January 1 | 1,545 | 0 | 1,545 |
| Total comprehensive income for the year | 890 | 0 | 890 |
| Share-based payments | 26 | – | 26 |
| Final cash dividend 2024 | (349) | 0 | (349) |
| Interim cash dividend 2025 | (214) | – | (214) |
| Repurchased shares | (1,100) | – | (1,100) |
| Balance at December 31 | 798 | 0 | 798 |
| 2024 | |||
| Equity attributable to the owners of the company | Non-controlling interests | Total equity | |
| Balance at January 1 | 1,749 | 0 | 1,749 |
| Total comprehensive income for the year | 1,285 | 1 | 1,286 |
| Share-based payments | 31 | – | 31 |
| Final cash dividend 2023 | (324) | (1) | (325) |
| Interim cash dividend 2024 | (196) | – | (196) |
| Repurchased shares | (1,000) | – | (1,000) |
| Balance at December 31 | 1,545 | 0 | 1,545 |
Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 1 Reporting entity
Wolters Kluwer N.V. ('the company') with its subsidiaries (together referred to as 'the group', and individually as ‘group entities’) is a global provider of information, software solutions, and services for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, financial and corporate compliance, legal and regulatory, and corporate performance and ESG sectors. Our expert solutions combine deep domain knowledge with technology to deliver both content and workflow automation to drive improved outcomes and productivity for our customers.
These condensed consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, comprise the group and the group’s interests in associates.
Note 2 Basis of preparation
Statement of compliance
The accounting policies applied in these condensed consolidated financial statements are the same as those applied in the 2025 Annual Report which will be published on March 11, 2026. The consolidated financial statements included in the 2025 Annual Report were authorized for issuance by the Executive Board and Supervisory Board on February 24, 2026. KPMG Accountants N.V. has completed its external audit. The unqualified auditor’s opinion will be published in the 2025 Annual Report, which will be submitted for adoption to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 21, 2026.
These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the IFRS® Accounting Standards (‘IFRS Accounting Standards’), as adopted by the European Union, except they do not include all the information required for a complete set of IFRS financial statements. Selected explanatory notes are included to explain events and transactions that are significant to an understanding of the changes in the group’s financial position and performance since the last annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Effect of new accounting standards
The accounting policies applied in these financial statements are the same as those applied in the 2024 Financial Statements, apart from the effect of the following new accounting standards and amendments which became effective as of January 1, 2025:
- Lack of exchangeability (amendments to IAS 21).
These amendments did not have any impact on the amounts recognized in the current or prior periods and are not expected to significantly affect future periods.
Effect of forthcoming accounting standards
A number of new standards and amendments are not yet effective for the year ended December 31, 2025, and have not been early adopted in these condensed consolidated financial statements. With the exception of IFRS 18 – Presentation and Disclosures in Financial Statements, the group expects no significant changes because of these amendments and new standards.
Presentation currency
The condensed consolidated financial statements are presented in euros and rounded to the nearest million, unless otherwise indicated.
| Exchange rates to the euro | 2025 | 2024 |
| U.S. dollar (average) | 1.13 | 1.08 |
| U.S. dollar (at December 31) | 1.18 | 1.04 |
Estimates and judgments
The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the application of policies and reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosed amounts of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of income and expense, that are not clear from other sources. The estimates, judgments, and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from those estimates and may result in material adjustments in the
next financial year(s).
The impact of climate-related matters was considered while preparing the financial statements, with a focus on the potential financial impact on estimates and judgments related to the impairment of non-financial assets. Hereby management considered the outcome of the double materiality assessment and the group’s emission reduction targets and associated abatement plans. Management concluded that the financial impact of climate-related matters on estimates and judgments is not material.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods. Judgments made by management in the application of IFRS that could have an effect on the financial statements and estimates with the risk of a material adjustment in future years are further discussed in the corresponding notes to the consolidated statements of profit or loss and financial position:
- Revenue recognition;
- Accounting for income taxes;
- Share-based payments; and
- Valuation, measurement, and impairment testing of goodwill and intangible assets other than goodwill.
Management believes that risks are adequately covered in its estimates and judgments.
Note 3 Benchmark Figures
Wherever used in this report, the term ‘adjusted’ refers to figures adjusted for non-benchmark items and, where applicable, amortization and (reversal of) impairment of acquired identifiable intangible assets and goodwill.
Adjusted figures are non-IFRS compliant financial figures but are internally regarded as key performance indicators to measure the underlying performance of the business from continuing operations. These figures are presented as additional information and do not replace the information in the condensed consolidated statement of profit or loss and in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows. The term ‘adjusted’ is not a defined term under IFRS.
Reconciliation of benchmark figures
Revenue bridge
| € million | % | |
| Revenues 2024 | 5,916 | |
| Organic change | 325 | 6 |
| Acquisitions | 94 | 2 |
| Divestments | (29) | (1) |
| Currency impact | (181) | (3) |
| Revenues 2025 | 6,125 | 4 |
U.S.
Reconciliation between operating profit and adjusted operating profit
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Operating profit | 1,735 | 1,441 |
| Amortization and impairment of acquired identifiable intangible assets and goodwill | 157 | 149 |
| Non-benchmark items in operating profit | (205) | 10 |
| Adjusted operating profit | 1,687 | 1,600 |
Reconciliation between total financing results and adjusted net financing costs
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Total financing results | (88) | (65) |
| Non-benchmark items in total financing results | 2 | 3 |
| Adjusted net financing costs | (86) | (62) |
Reconciliation between profit for the year and adjusted net profit
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Profit for the year attributable to the owners of the company (A) | 1,308 | 1,079 |
| Amortization and impairment of acquired identifiable intangible assets and goodwill | 157 | 149 |
| Tax benefits on amortization and impairment of acquired identifiable intangible assets and goodwill | (39) | (38) |
| Non-benchmark items, net of tax | (201) | (5) |
| Adjusted net profit (B) | 1,225 | 1,185 |
Summary of non-benchmark items
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Divestment-related results | 231 | (3) |
| Acquisition-related costs | (25) | (7) |
| Fair value changes of contingent considerations | 0 | 0 |
| Additions to acquisition integration provisions | (1) | 0 |
| Other gains and (losses) in operating profit | 205 | (10) |
| Included in financing results: | ||
| Financing component employee benefits | (2) | (3) |
| Total non-benchmark items in financing results | (2) | (3) |
| Total non-benchmark items, before tax | 203 | (13) |
| Tax benefits/(charges) on non-benchmark items | (4) | 18 |
| Impact of changes in tax rates | 2 | 0 |
| Non-benchmark items, net of tax | 201 | 5 |
Reconciliation between net cash from operating activities and adjusted free cash flow
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Net cash from operating activities | 1,668 | 1,654 |
| Net capital expenditure | (303) | (313) |
| Repayment of principal portion of lease liabilities | (58) | (62) |
| Paid acquisition-related costs | 25 | 7 |
| Paid divestment expenses | 10 | 5 |
| Dividends received | 1 | 1 |
| Income tax paid/(received) on divested assets | 5 | (16) |
| Adjusted free cash flow (C) | 1,348 | 1,276 |
Return on invested capital (ROIC) calculation
| (in millions of euros, unless otherwise stated) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Adjusted operating profit | 1,687 | 1,600 |
| Allocated tax | (398) | (370) |
| Net operating profit after allocated tax (NOPAT) (D) | 1,289 | 1,230 |
| Average invested capital (E) | 7,183 | 6,788 |
| ROIC-ratio (D/E) (%) | 18.0 | 18.1 |
Per share information
| (in euros, unless otherwise stated) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Total number of ordinary shares outstanding at December 311 | 226.2 | 234.4 |
| Weighted-average number of ordinary shares (F)1 | 231.0 | 237.5 |
| Diluted weighted-average number of ordinary shares (G)1 | 231.8 | 238.4 |
| Adjusted EPS (B/F) | 5.31 | 4.99 |
| Diluted adjusted EPS (B/G) | 5.29 | 4.97 |
| Diluted adjusted EPS in constant currencies | 5.47 | 5.01 |
| Basic EPS (A/F) | 5.66 | 4.54 |
| Diluted EPS (A/G) | 5.64 | 4.52 |
| Adjusted free cash flow per share (C/F) | 5.84 | 5.37 |
| Diluted adjusted free cash flow per share (C/G) | 5.82 | 5.35 |
1 In millions of shares.
Benchmark tax rate
| (in millions of euros, unless otherwise stated) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Income tax expense | 341 | 299 |
| Tax benefits on amortization and impairment of acquired identifiable intangibles | 39 | 38 |
| Tax benefits/(charges) on non-benchmark items | (4) | 18 |
| Impact of changes in tax rates | 2 | 0 |
| Tax on adjusted profit before tax (H) | 378 | 355 |
| Adjusted net profit | 1,225 | 1,185 |
| Adjustment for non-controlling interests | 0 | 0 |
| Adjusted profit before tax (I) | 1,603 | 1,540 |
| Benchmark tax rate (H/I) (%) | 23.6 | 23.1 |
Cash conversion ratio
| (in millions of euros, unless otherwise stated) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Operating profit | 1,735 | 1,441 |
| Amortization, depreciation, and impairments | 477 | 479 |
| EBITDA | 2,212 | 1,920 |
| Non-benchmark items in operating profit | (205) | 10 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 2,007 | 1,930 |
| Autonomous movements in working capital | 104 | 82 |
| Net capital expenditure | (303) | (313) |
| Book (profit)/loss on sale of non-current assets | 0 | (2) |
| Repayment of principal portion of lease liabilities | (58) | (62) |
| Interest portion of lease payments | (7) | (8) |
| Adjusted operating cash flow (J) | 1,743 | 1,627 |
| Adjusted operating profit (K) | 1,687 | 1,600 |
| Cash conversion ratio (J/K) (%) | 103 | 102 |
Note 4 Segment Reporting
Divisional revenues and operating profit
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 20241 | |
| Revenues | ||
| Health | 1,596 | 1,584 |
| Tax & Accounting | 1,660 | 1,561 |
| Financial & Corporate Compliance | 1,239 | 1,228 |
| Legal & Regulatory | 1,005 | 946 |
| Corporate Performance & ESG | 625 | 597 |
| Total revenues | 6,125 | 5,916 |
| Operating profit/(loss) | ||
| Health | 480 | 440 |
| Tax & Accounting | 557 | 497 |
| Financial & Corporate Compliance | 625 | 398 |
| Legal & Regulatory | 134 | 145 |
| Corporate Performance & ESG | 16 | 30 |
| Corporate | (77) | (69) |
| Total operating profit | 1,735 | 1,441 |
1) The comparative figures were updated to reflect the transfer of the Finance, Risk & Regulatory Reporting unit from the Corporate Performance & ESG (CP&ESG) division to the Financial & Corporate Compliance division.
Disaggregation of revenues
The group disaggregates revenues by media format and by revenue type as part of the management information discussed by the Executive Board. Reference is made to Appendix 1, 2, and 3 of this report.
Note 5 Earnings per share
Earnings per share (EPS)
| (in millions of euros, unless otherwise stated) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Profit for the year attributable to the owners of the company (A) | 1,308 | 1,079 |
| Weighted-average number of ordinary shares, in millions of shares | ||
| Outstanding ordinary shares at January 1 | 238.5 | 248.5 |
| Effect of cancellation of shares | (1.7) | (2.9) |
| Effect of repurchased shares | (5.8) | (8.1) |
| Weighted-average number of ordinary shares for the year (F) | 231.0 | 237.5 |
| Basic EPS (€) (A/F) | 5.66 | 4.54 |
| Diluted weighted-average number of ordinary shares, in millions of shares | ||
| Weighted-average number of ordinary shares (F) | 231.0 | 237.5 |
| Effect of Long-Term Incentive Plan | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Diluted weighted-average number of ordinary shares for the year (G) | 231.8 | 238.4 |
| Diluted EPS (€) (A/G) | 5.64 | 4.52 |
Note 6 Acquisitions and Divestments
Acquisitions
Total acquisition spending in the full year 2025, net of cash acquired, was
On March 13, 2025, Wolters Kluwer Financial & Corporate Compliance completed the acquisition of Registered Agent Solutions, Inc. (“RASi”) for
On June 11, 2025, Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory acquired Brightflag, a global cloud-based provider of AI-powered legal spend and matter management software, for
On November 19, 2025, Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory acquired Libra Technology GmbH (Libra), a Berlin-based provider of AI-technology for legal professionals, for up to
In addition, other smaller acquisitions were completed with a combined total consideration of
The fair values of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the abovementioned acquisitions, as reported at December 31, 2025, are provisional, but no material deviations from these fair values are expected.
In 2025, acquisition-related costs amounted to
The goodwill relating to the 2025 acquisitions represents future economic benefits specific to the group arising from assets that do not qualify for separate recognition as intangible assets. These benefits include revenues from expected new customers and from new capabilities of the acquired product platforms, as well as expected synergies that will arise following the acquisitions.
Of the goodwill recognized in 2025, none was deductible for income tax purposes (2024: none).
The following table provides information in aggregate for all business combinations in 2025:
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Consideration payable in cash | 874 | 357 |
| Deferred and contingent considerations | 49 | 0 |
| Total consideration | 923 | 357 |
| Non-current assets | 432 | 189 |
| Current assets | 29 | 33 |
| Non-current liabilities | (4) | (5) |
| Current liabilities | (45) | (12) |
| Deferred tax liabilities | (63) | (45) |
| Fair value of net identifiable assets/(liabilities) | 349 | 160 |
| Goodwill on acquisitions | 574 | 197 |
| Cash effect of acquisitions: | ||
| Consideration payable in cash | 874 | 357 |
| Cash acquired | (5) | (25) |
| Deferred and contingent considerations paid | 2 | 3 |
| Acquisition spending, net of cash acquired | 871 | 335 |
The fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities will be revised if new information, obtained within one year from the acquisition date, about facts and circumstances that existed at the acquisition date, causes adjustments to the above amounts, or for any additional provisions that existed at the acquisition date.
The acquisitions completed in 2025 resulted in a maximum achievable undiscounted deferred and contingent consideration of
Divestments
On December 1, 2025, Wolters Kluwer Financial & Corporate Compliance completed the divestment of the Financial, Risk and Regulatory Reporting (FRR) unit, subject to closing conditions and contractual adjustments. The total net divestment proceeds received in 2025 amounted to
In 2024, net divestment proceeds amounted to
Divestment-related results on operations
| (in millions of euros) | Full Year | |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| Divestment of operations: | ||
| Consideration receivable in cash | 415 | 1 |
| Deferred divestment consideration receivable | 4 | - |
| Consideration receivable | 419 | 1 |
| Non-current assets | 205 | 3 |
| Current assets | 35 | 3 |
| Non-current liabilities | (7) | - |
| Current liabilities | (69) | (6) |
| Deferred tax assets/(liabilities) | 1 | (1) |
| Net identifiable assets/(liabilities) | 165 | (1) |
| Reclassification of foreign exchange differences on loss of control to profit or loss, previously recognized in other comprehensive income | (4) | 1 |
| Book profit/(loss) on divestments of operations | 250 | 3 |
| Divestment-related costs | (16) | (5) |
| Restructuring of stranded costs following divestments | (3) | (1) |
| Divestment-related results, included in other gains and (losses) | 231 | (3) |
| Cash effect of divestments: | ||
| Consideration receivable in cash | 415 | 1 |
| Cash included in divested operations | (16) | 0 |
| Receipts from divestments, net of cash disposed | 399 | 1 |
Note 7 Net Debt
Reconciliation gross debt to net debt
| (in millions of euros, unless otherwise stated) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 |
| Bonds | 3,822 | 3,324 |
| Private placements | 108 | 122 |
| Other long-term debt | 16 | 21 |
| Deferred and contingent acquisition payables | 49 | 0 |
| Derivative financial instruments | 38 | 17 |
| Total long-term debt, excl. lease liabilities | 4,033 | 3,484 |
| Lease liabilities | 160 | 179 |
| Total long-term debt | 4,193 | 3,663 |
| Borrowings and bank overdrafts | 221 | 359 |
| Short-term bonds | 500 | ‒ |
| Short-term lease liabilities | 57 | 63 |
| Deferred and contingent acquisition payables | 1 | 2 |
| Derivative financial instruments | 0 | 3 |
| Total short-term debt | 779 | 427 |
| Gross debt | 4,972 | 4,090 |
| Minus: | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents | (932) | (954) |
| Collateral | (12) | (2) |
| Deferred divestment consideration receivable | (4) | - |
| Derivative financial instruments: | ||
| Non-current assets | – | – |
| Current assets | – | – |
| Net debt | 4,024 | 3,134 |
| Net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio | 2.0 | 1.6 |
On March 20, 2025, the group issued a new
On June 30, 2025, the group issued a new
At December 31, 2025, there are no drawdowns outstanding on the
Note 8 Equity, Dividends, and LTIP
Share buybacks
In 2025, the group executed a share buyback of
Treasury shares
Repurchased shares are added to and held as treasury shares. Part of the shares held in treasury are retained and used to meet future obligations under share-based incentive plans. In 2025, the group used 0.4 million shares held in treasury for the vesting of the LTIP grant 2022-24.
On September 19, 2025, the company canceled 6.0 million treasury shares as approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in May 2025 (2024: 10.0 million shares). Following the share cancelation, the number of issued ordinary shares is 232.5 million, of which 6.3 million are held in treasury as at December 31, 2025.
Final and Interim dividend
A final 2024 dividend of
As announced on July 30, 2025, the Supervisory Board and Executive Board of Wolters Kluwer resolved to distribute an interim dividend for the year 2025 at
Vesting of LTIP shares
The LTIP 2022-24 vested on December 31, 2024. The EPS- and ROIC-related shares resulted in a payout of
The LTIP 2023-25 vested on December 31, 2025. The EPS- and ROIC-related shares resulted in a payout of
Under the 2024-26 LTIP grant, 263,249 shares were conditionally awarded to the Executive Board and other senior managers in the year 2024. In 2024 and 2025, a total of 7,362 and 23,169 shares were forfeited, respectively.
Under the 2025-27 LTIP grant, 254,276 shares were conditionally awarded to the Executive Board and other senior managers in the year 2025. In 2025, a total of 11,317 shares were forfeited.
In 2023, the company launched a new equity-settled share-based payment plan, comprised of Restricted
Stock Units (RSUs). RSU shares are granted and vest over time with vesting conditioned on continued participation. In 2025,
Shares owned by Executive Board and Supervisory Board members
At December 31, 2025, the Executive Board jointly held 535,921 shares (2024: 487,952 shares), of which 460,412 shares (2024: 427,202 shares) were held by Ms. McKinstry, 18,775 shares by Ms. Caywood, and 56,734 shares (2024: 60,750) by Mr. Entricken.
At December 31, 2025, Mrs. A.E. Ziegler holds 3,073 American Depositary Receipts of shares of the company (2023: 1,894 ADRs). Mr. D.W. Sides and Mr. J.P. de Kreij held 1,875 and 3,000 ordinary shares respectively (2024: each nil).
Note 9 Events after the Reporting Period
Subsequent events were evaluated up to February 24, 2026, which is the date the consolidated financial statements were authorized for issuance by the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board.
On January 9, 2026, Wolters Kluwer Corporate Performance & ESG completed the acquisition of StandardFusion, a global provider of cloud-based governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions, based in Vancouver, Canada, for approximately
Appendix 1 Divisional Supplemental Information – Year ended December 31
| (€ million, unless otherwise stated) | Change: | ||||||
| 2025 | 20241 | Organic | Acquisition/ Divestment | Currency | |||
| Health | |||||||
| Revenues | 1,596 | 1,584 | 86 | (11) | (63) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 512 | 480 | 47 | 5 | (20) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||||
| Tax & Accounting | |||||||
| Revenues | 1,660 | 1,561 | 112 | 29 | (42) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 584 | 519 | 71 | 10 | (16) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||||
| Financial & Corporate Compliance | |||||||
| Revenues | 1,239 | 1,228 | 34 | 25 | (48) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 437 | 433 | 11 | 12 | (19) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||||
| Legal & Regulatory | |||||||
| Revenues | 1,005 | 946 | 51 | 22 | (14) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 183 | 176 | 8 | 1 | (2) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||||
| Corporate Performance & ESG | |||||||
| Revenues | 625 | 597 | 42 | ‒ | (14) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 48 | 61 | (10) | ‒ | (3) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||||
| Corporate | |||||||
| Adjusted operating profit | (77) | (69) | (9) | ‒ | 1 | ||
| Total Wolters Kluwer | |||||||
| Revenues | 6,125 | 5,916 | 325 | 65 | (181) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 1,687 | 1,600 | 118 | 28 | (59) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | |||||||
| Note: Acquisition/divestment column includes the contribution from 2025 and 2024 acquisitions before these became organic (12 months from their acquisition date), the impact of 2025 and 2024 divestments, and the effect of asset transfers between divisions, if any. 1) See footnote 3 on page 5. | |||||||
Appendix 2 Revenues by Media Format – Year ended December 31
| (€ million, unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 2024 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Software | 2,848 | 2,690 | + | + | + |
| Other digital | 2,402 | 2,345 | + | + | + |
| Digital | 5,250 | 5,035 | + | + | + |
| Services | 584 | 569 | + | + | + |
| 291 | 312 | - | - | - | |
| Total revenues | 6,125 | 5,916 | + | + | + |
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
Appendix 3 Divisional Revenues by Type – Year ended December 31
| (€ million, unless otherwise stated) | 2025 | 20241 | ∆ | ∆ CC | ∆ OG |
| Health | |||||
| Digital and service subscription | 1,302 | 1,279 | + | + | + |
| Print subscription | 36 | 41 | - | - | - |
| Other recurring | 138 | 129 | + | + | + |
| Total recurring revenues | 1,476 | 1,449 | + | + | + |
| Print books | 53 | 60 | - | - | - |
| Other non-recurring | 67 | 75 | - | - | - |
| Total Health | 1,596 | 1,584 | + | + | + |
| Tax & Accounting | |||||
| Digital and service subscription | 1,372 | 1,273 | + | + | + |
| Print subscription | 13 | 14 | - | - | - |
| Other recurring | 141 | 144 | - | + | + |
| Total recurring revenues | 1,526 | 1,431 | + | + | + |
| Print books | 21 | 18 | + | + | + |
| Other non-recurring | 113 | 112 | + | + | + |
| Total Tax & Accounting | 1,660 | 1,561 | + | + | + |
| Financial & Corporate Compliance | |||||
| Digital and service subscription | 841 | 824 | + | + | + |
| Total recurring revenues | 841 | 824 | + | + | + |
| LS transactional | 223 | 206 | + | + | + |
| FS transactional | 120 | 130 | - | - | + |
| Other non-recurring | 55 | 68 | - | - | - |
| Total Financial & Corporate Compliance | 1,239 | 1,228 | + | + | + |
| Legal & Regulatory | |||||
| Digital and service subscription | 722 | 664 | + | + | + |
| Print subscription | 68 | 70 | - | - | - |
| Other recurring | 14 | 12 | + | + | + |
| Total recurring revenues | 804 | 746 | + | + | + |
| Print books | 41 | 42 | - | - | - |
| ELM transactional | 104 | 100 | + | + | + |
| Other non-recurring | 56 | 58 | - | - | - |
| Total Legal & Regulatory | 1,005 | 946 | + | + | + |
| Corporate Performance & ESG | |||||
| Digital and service subscription | 463 | 418 | + | + | + |
| Total recurring revenues | 463 | 418 | + | + | + |
| Other non-recurring | 162 | 179 | - | - | - |
| Total Corporate Performance & ESG | 625 | 597 | + | + | + |
| Total Wolters Kluwer | |||||
| Digital and service subscription | 4,700 | 4,458 | + | + | + |
| Print subscription | 117 | 125 | - | - | - |
| Other recurring | 293 | 285 | + | + | + |
| Total recurring revenues | 5,110 | 4,868 | + | + | + |
| Transactional | 447 | 436 | + | + | + |
| Print books | 115 | 120 | - | - | - |
| Other non-recurring | 453 | 492 | - | - | - |
| Total non-recurring revenues | 1,015 | 1,048 | - | - | |
| Total Wolters Kluwer | 6,125 | 5,916 | + | + | + |
| ∆: % Change; ∆ CC: % Change in constant currencies (€/ | |||||
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information solutions, software and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services.
Wolters Kluwer reported 2025 annual revenues of
Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX, Euro Stoxx 50, and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).
For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram
Financial Calendar
| March 11, 2026 | Publication of 2025 Annual Report |
| May 6, 2026 | First-Quarter 2026 Trading Update |
| May 21, 2026 | Annual General Meeting of Shareholders |
| May 25, 2026 | Ex-dividend date: 2025 final dividend ordinary shares |
| May 26, 2026 | Record date: 2025 final dividend |
| June 17, 2026 | Payment date: 2025 final dividend ordinary shares |
| June 24, 2026 | Payment date: 2025 final dividend ADRs |
| August 5, 2026 | Half-Year 2026 Results |
| September 1, 2026 | Ex-dividend date: 2026 interim dividend ordinary shares |
| September 2, 2026 | Record date: 2026 interim dividend |
| September 24, 2026 | Payment date: 2026 interim dividend ordinary shares |
| October 1, 2026 | Payment date: 2026 interim dividend ADRs |
| November 4, 2026 | Nine-Month 2026 Trading Update |
| February 24, 2027 | Full-Year 2026 Results |
| March 10, 2027 | Publication of 2026 Annual Report |
| Media | Investors/Analysts |
| Stefan Kloet | Meg Geldens |
| Global Communications | Investor Relations |
| m +31 (0)612 22 36 57 | t +31 (0)172-641-407 |
| press@wolterskluwer.com | ir@wolterskluwer.com |
Forward-looking Statements and Other Important Legal Information
This report contains forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as “expect”, “should”, “could”, “shall” and similar expressions. Wolters Kluwer cautions that such forward-looking statements are qualified by certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from what is contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, general economic conditions; conditions in the markets in which Wolters Kluwer is engaged; conditions created by global pandemics; behavior of customers, suppliers, and competitors; technological developments; the implementation and execution of new ICT systems or outsourcing; and legal, tax, and regulatory rules affecting Wolters Kluwer’s businesses, as well as risks related to mergers, acquisitions, and divestments. In addition, financial risks such as currency movements, interest rate fluctuations, liquidity, and credit risks could influence future results. The foregoing list of factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Wolters Kluwer disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Elements of this press release contain or may contain inside information about Wolters Kluwer within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014/EU). Trademarks referenced are owned by Wolters Kluwer N.V. and its subsidiaries and may be registered in various countries.
Notice regarding bearer share certificates.
Owners of physical bearer share certificates in Wolters Kluwer N.V. (or its predecessors) are currently still entitled to surrender these bearer certificates and to receive a corresponding number of ordinary shares in Wolters Kluwer N.V. The opportunity to exchange the bearer certificates is open until October 31, 2026, at the latest. For more information, please email ir@wolterskluwer.com.
1 Adjusted net financing costs include lease interest charges.
2 Dividend payout ratio: dividend per share divided by adjusted earnings per share.
3 Throughout this document, 2024 figures for Financial & Corporate Compliance (FCC) and Corporate Performance & ESG (CP&ESG) are pro forma for the January 1, 2025 transfer of Finance, Risk & Regulatory Reporting (FRR) from CP&ESG to FCC. FRR was divested on December 1, 2025. See Note 6 for further detail.
4 Total cash and cash equivalents of
5 Adjusted gender pay-gap ratio considers factors such as job level, geographic location, and experience.
6 EHS = environmental, health, and safety; ESG = environmental, social, and governance (Enablon suite).
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