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UK: Unite Students has also launched a £100 million share buyback programme and reiterated its full-year guidance as its university partners show continued demand.
Chief executive Joe Lister said: “Our conversations with our university partners show continued demand for our high-quality, value-for-money accommodation, notwithstanding a slower start to the 2026/27 sales cycle. Consistent with the revised capital allocation policy set out at our recent investor event, we are today launching a £100 million share buyback programme to return surplus capital to shareholders. This will initially be funded through reduced off-campus development activity, which maintains our high-quality balance sheet.”
“We will continue to invest where we see the strongest risk-adjusted returns and expect to generate further surplus capital over the year ahead as we make progress with planned disposals. We are focused on delivering on our strategic priorities, namely driving operational excellence and optimising capital allocation. These underpin our medium-term outlook and our path to return to earnings growth from 2027,” he added.
Unite launched its sales cycle in late October, and has reported 64 per cent of rooms are now reserved for 2026/27, slightly behind the previous year. Ahead of the main UCAS application deadline, Unit has seen a slower rate of sales as universities adopt a” more cautious approach to renewing single year or expiring multi-year nomination agreements”.
Unite’s focus on securing income through price adjustments in markets with lower occupancy in 2025/26, including Nottingham, Sheffield and Leicester, has “encouragingly led to reservations being slightly ahead of last year in those cities”.
Unite, which builds and operates purpose-built stident accommodation (PBSA), has reiterated its FY2025 guidance for adjusted EPS of 47.5p to 48.25p.
Highlights:
• Unite Students has also launched a £100 million share buyback programme and reiterated its full-year guidance as its university partners show continued demand
• The share buyback will initially be funded through reduced off-campus development activity
• It launched its sales cycle in late October, and has reported 64 per cent of rooms are now reserved for 2026/27, slightly behind the previous year.
