# The Unite Group plc (UTG.L) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. LSE, United Kingdom. Sector: Real Estate / Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Price 493p, market value 2.5 billionp.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): n/a** (negative earnings). The Unite Group plc reported negative earnings over the last twelve months, so the P/E is not meaningful; use price-to-sales, EV/EBITDA and free-cash-flow yield instead.
- **Price / sales: 3.8×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 3.8×.
- **Price / book: 0.5×**. The shares trade below book value, which can signal a bargain or a balance sheet the market doubts.
- **EV / EBITDA: 15.5×**. Enterprise value is 15.5× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 4.8%** (5-yr avg 0.0%). Free cash flow equals 4.8% of the market value, above its five-year average of 0.0%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 70.8%**. The Unite Group plc keeps 70.8% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, the kind of margin that comes with software, brands or pricing power.
- **Operating margin: 46.3%**. 46.3% of revenue is left after running the business, an exceptional level.
- **Net margin: 29.3%**. 29.3% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 2.1%**. 2.1% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 5.1%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 5.1%: close to or below the cost of capital, so growth may not create value.
- **Return on assets: 8.6%**. Each dollar of assets produces 8.6% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 11.2%** (3-yr 8.7%/yr, 5-yr 9.1%/yr). Revenue grew 11.2% over the last year, against 9.1% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -79.2%** (3-yr -39.2%/yr). Earnings per share fell 79.2%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.30**. Debt is 0.30 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 5.4×**. It would take 5.4 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, above the 3× level most lenders treat as comfortable.
- **Interest coverage: 6.0×**. Operating profit covers interest 6.0× over, a safe margin.
- **Current ratio: 29.97** (quick 29.03). Current assets cover the next year's liabilities 29.97 times.
- **Altman Z-score: 2.19**. A Z-score of 2.19 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 5/9**. 5 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 7.69%** (0p per share, trailing). The Unite Group plc yields 7.69%, high enough to check carefully: yields this high often precede a cut.
- **Payout ratio: 157%** (228% of free cash flow). The dividend exceeds earnings (157% payout), which is rarely sustainable outside REITs and one-off years.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 5**. 5 straight years of increases.
- **Shareholder yield: 7.8%**. Dividends plus net buybacks return 7.8% of the market value a year.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (15 analysts). 15 analysts cover The Unite Group plc; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of 567p (+15% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): -30.7%** (YTD -12.4%, 3-mo -4.2%). The shares are down 30.7% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -32.4%** (11.5% above the low). Trading 32% below its 52-week high, deep in a drawdown.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 31**. An RSI of 31 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.67** (volatility 28%). Beta of 0.67 against the FTSE All-Share: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=UTG.L · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/utg.l

Not investment advice.