Thomson Reuters TRI-T +1.53%increase on Thursday reaffirmed 2025 financial guidance amid tariff-induced global economic turmoil that has led some companies to revise or scrap forecasts altogether.
The Toronto-based content and technology company reported quarterly revenue rising 1 per cent to $1.9-billion, slightly below analyst expectations of $1.93-billion, according to LSEG data.
Organic revenue, which strips out the impact of currency moves, acquisitions and asset sales, rose 6 per cent.
Chief Executive Officer Steve Hasker said businesses and government agencies were broadly more cautious about investment decisions amid the turmoil, but most of Thomson Reuters revenue was recurring in nature, often locked into multi-year contracts.
“Everyone is bracing themselves,” Hasker said in a post-results interview of the unstable economic backdrop caused in part by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
“But as we’ve seen with Microsoft, we haven’t seen any impact yet … We’ve made a good start to the year, meeting or exceeding our expectations,” he added, referring to Wednesday’s results from the U.S. tech giant.
Thomson Reuters is also expected to reaffirm its 2026 organic revenue growth target of 7.5 per cent to 8 per cent, Chief Financial Officer Mike Eastwood said. “Steve and I remain confident in delivering all aspects of our 2026 framework.”
The company, which owns the Westlaw legal database, Reuters news agency and the Checkpoint tax and accounting service, reported first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.12. Wall Street expected a profit of $1.05 per share.
Shares of Thomson Reuters, which have risen 15 per cent since the beginning of the year, have outpaced the S&P 500 index, which has fallen 5 per cent over the same period.
Organic revenue for the company’s “Big 3” business segments, comprising its legal, corporates and tax and accounting businesses, rose 9 per cent in the quarter.
Revenue at constant currencies in the legal professionals business fell 3 per cent due to the impact of the sale of legal marketing business FindLaw. Revenue in the tax and accounting division rose 12 per cent, boosted by the purchase of SafeSend.
Reuters News revenue fell 7 per cent after benefiting from non-recurring generative AI licensing revenue a year ago.
Second-quarter company-wide organic revenue is expected to pick up from the first quarter and rise 7 per cent. The company reaffirmed its forecast for full-year organic revenue to increase by 7 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
Thomson Reuters purchased tax automation company cPaperless, LLC, owner of SafeSend, for $600-million in cash in the first quarter.
The company has said it has $10-billion to spend on potential acquisitions through 2027.
Woodbridge Co. Ltd., the Thomson family holding company and controlling shareholder of Thomson Reuters, also owns The Globe and Mail.
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