Election fever provides big profits lift for YouGov

The group, which reported UK earnings of 3.4m on revenues up 9 per cent in the year to July 31, provided polls on election voting on a daily basis for major client News International – publisher of The Times and Sunday Times, The Sun and the News of the World.

The election boost added to cost savings from last year's restructuring of the customised polling service as well as benefits from signing up new clients including the Office of Fair Trading and drug giant Pfizer.

Overall group pre-tax profits rose to 4m on an underlying basis from 3.9m the previous year, helped by efforts to cut costs, the streamlining of operations and the turnaround of under-performing divisions.

Its Scandinavian business returned to profit in the second half, while it cut costs in Germany by 800,000.

The firm's US arm was one of the strongest in the year, with turnover up 39 per cent after the group snapped up a number of US firms.

Most recently it bought Connecticut corporate research specialist Harrison Group.

YouGov said it expected the UK and US to continue growing this financial year, with market conditions also showing signs of improving, according to chief executive Stephan Shakespeare.

Numis Securities analyst Dominic Buch predicted more growth to come at YouGov.

"We believe that building on the success of the core UK business, its innovative techniques and technologies will underpin continued demand for its products," he added.