Shares of Aberdeen-headquartered transport giant FirstGroup plc rose as much as 12% on Tuesday after it said it made £169.6 profit before tax in the 52 weeks to March 29, 2025, compared to a loss of £24.4 million in the prior year.

FirstGroup also announced an additional £50 million share buyback programme to add to the £92 million returned to shareholders via buyback programmes in FY 2025.

Statutory revenue rose to £5.066 billion from £4.715 billion, and total dividend rose to 6.5p from 5.5p.

The group’s First Bus division is one of the largest bus operators in the UK, serving more than 25% of the population in the UK with a fleet of 5,800 buses, and carrying more than a million passengers a day.

Its First Rail business includes two DfT contracted train operating companies — WCP, incorporating Avanti West Coast and West Coast Partnership Development, and GWR, as well as two “open access” routes, Hull Trains and Lumo. 

In its outlook, FirstGroup said: “We will participate in upcoming regional bus franchising and other UK rail opportunities and continue to evaluate a pipeline of value-accretive inorganic growth opportunities in line with the group’s disciplined capital allocation policy.”

FirstGroup CEO Graham Sutherland said: “I am pleased to report another positive set of results for our 2025 financial year.

“We have further strengthened our businesses and continued to deliver against our strategy, including growing and diversifying our earnings in both First Bus and First Rail.

“This leaves us well placed to at least maintain our adjusted earnings per share in FY 2026, from a stronger base, as we continue to successfully navigate a period of transition in bus and rail in the UK.

“Our focus remains on operational excellence and the disciplined deployment of capital to maintain our accelerated investment in decarbonisation and continuing to build a diverse, sustainable earnings base, while returning any excess capital to shareholders.”