London, January 22, 2026, 08:56 (GMT)
- Future has struck a deal to acquire SheerLuxe and BLUSH Talent MGMT for £39.9m upfront, plus a performance-based earn-out
- In its latest buyback, the company repurchased 25,431 shares for cancellation
- Fidelity’s FIL Limited revealed it has increased its total voting rights in Future to slightly above 11%
Future (FUTR.L) announced Thursday it will acquire UK digital publisher SheerLuxe, along with BLUSH Talent MGMT, for an initial £39.9 million in cash. Shares jumped 3.7% to 525.5 pence by 0835 GMT, per Fidelity data. London South East
The timing of the deal is tricky for Future, coming after a steep decline in its stock price. Shares have fallen over 40% in the last year and are hovering close to their 52-week lows, per data from Investing.com.
A major-holdings notice dated Jan. 19 revealed that FIL Limited, a Fidelity unit, increased its total voting stake in Future to 11.0161% from 10.0167%. The notice also detailed that 1.2915 percentage points were held through cash-settled contracts for difference, or CFDs — derivatives that mirror a share’s price without actual ownership. London South East
Future has attempted to soften the blow with share buybacks. On Jan. 21, it repurchased 25,431 shares at an average of 496.2652 pence each and intends to cancel them. That brings the total bought since Dec. 15 to 664,442 shares, costing roughly £3.46 million. London South East
Future reported SheerLuxe pulled in £12.6 million in revenue and £5.1 million in EBITDA over the year ending September 2025. The total price tag is capped at £80 million through an earn-out. Future also flagged an additional £3 million in interest costs from the deal, expecting leverage to hit about 1.1 times by September 30, 2026, while it presses on with a £30 million buyback programme. CEO Kevin Li Ying described SheerLuxe as “highly complementary” to Future’s portfolio. Meanwhile, founder Georgie Coleridge Cole called the acquisition a “huge milestone.” Investegate
SheerLuxe connects with over six million users through social media, newsletters, websites, and podcasts, the announcement states. Insider Media noted that Future also owns the price comparison site GoCompare and maintains offices in Bath and Cardiff. Insider Media Ltd
The stock recently dipped below its 200-day moving average, a key long-term indicator for many investors, MarketBeat reported earlier this month. MarketBeat
Future called SheerLuxe a “Google-Zero” brand and revealed plans to roll it out in the United States. The company added that the acquisition bolsters its fashion and beauty portfolio, which already features Marie Claire and Who What Wear.
The situation in digital media can shift quickly. If advertising remains sluggish or SheerLuxe falls short of the growth targets required to trigger the earn-out, Future might find itself burdened with more debt and little boost to profits.
Future has set its annual general meeting for Feb. 5 in London, according to the company’s shareholder information page. Future
Future calls itself an intent-led specialist media platform, generating revenue from advertising, affiliate e-commerce, and direct consumer sales. The company says it has boosted growth by making acquisitions.
