Can Mark Penn’s Stagwell find a place at adland’s top table? The once-MDC is still tiny by comparison with the likes of Omnicom and Publicis (and even WPP by some measures) with a market cap of just $1.56bn. But in 2025 it delivered net revenue of $2.43bn, 6% up on 2024, a rate of growth to match even the mighty Publicis.
Stagwell’s Marketing Cloud (AI-based services) showed 230% growth from a low base while other marketing services helped to contribute 60% of group revenues. Stagwell agencies include Goodstuff, 72andSunny, Assembly and Forsman & Bodenfors. clients incude Target, Microsoft, Grubhub and Venmo.
CEO Penn (left) says agency stocks are currently “undervalued” and is launching a share buyback programme to indicate the opposite. What Stagwell needs most is a transformational deal. (It’s already roughly the same size as Havas.) Last year it looked at Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 Capital. It would also be a likely buyer of some WPP assets if there was a break-up there.
