Join our community of smart investors

IWG's rising revenue masks bigger problems

The flexible workspace operator boasted record revenues, but profits remain firmly in the red
March 7, 2023
  • No pre-tax profit since 2019
  • Debt remains very high

Our stance on IWG (IWG) remains firmly bearish. The flexible workspace operator may have narrowed its pre-tax losses in its results for the last calendar year, but its net debt still easily outstrips its net assets.

The reason for this is that IWG’s business model is fundamentally flawed. It leases its buildings, while its competitors own theirs. So, although flexible office landlords like Workspace (WKP) make money by collecting rent from their office assets, IWG leases offices from landlords in order to sublease them to other companies on more flexible terms.

This is subscriber only content
Start your trial to keep reading
PRINT AND DIGITAL trial

Get 12 weeks for £12
  • Essential access to the website and app
  • Magazine delivered every week
  • Investment ideas, tools and analysis
Have an account? Sign in