Sage Group plc, the Newcastle-based FTSE 100 global software company, said its first-half revenue rose 10% to £1.363 billion in the six months to March 31, 2026, while profit before tax rose 11% to £262 million.

Interim dividend rose 8% to 8.05p oer share.

Sage sells accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses around the world.

“Share buyback programme of £300m announced in March 2026 is well underway, taking the total value of share buybacks announced in the first half to £600m,” said the Newcastle firm.

“This reflects Sage’s strong cash generation, robust financial position, and the board’s confidence in Sage’s future prospects.”

In its outlook, Sage said: “Building on strong momentum in the first half, we now expect organic total revenue growth for FY26 to be above 9%. We continue to expect operating margins to trend upwards in FY26 and beyond, as we focus on efficiently scaling the group.”

Sage Group CEO Steve Hare said: “Sage delivered an excellent first-half performance, with double-digit revenue growth, further margin expansion and strong cash flows. This reflects the focused execution of our strategy and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs.

“Small and mid-sized businesses trust Sage to run their mission-critical finance, payroll and HR workflows, where accuracy and compliance are non-negotiable. Our intelligent agents are already helping finance teams accelerate cash flows, close the books faster, plan more effectively and turn insight into action, without compromising control or accountability.

“By embedding AI directly into our customers’ day-to-day work, we are making our solutions more valuable, reinforcing our competitive advantages, and driving efficient, sustainable growth.

“With our trusted scalable platform, growing agent portfolio and strong momentum supported by investment across the business, I am confident in Sage’s ability to deliver growth and long term value for all stakeholders.”