PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LIMITED
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Cash
—
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
£412m
-5.6% lowest in 4 filed years
Employees
0
Average over period
Profit before tax
£44m
-37.3% lowest in 4 filed years
Net assets
4-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
4-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Operating profit | -£28,603 | -£171,721 | -£229,214 | -£1,677,674 | -631.9% | |
| Profit before tax | £54,119,950 | £119,551,057 | £70,546,227 | £44,225,012 | -37.3% | |
| Net profit | £55,250,770 | £120,022,910 | £71,449,107 | £45,548,372 | -36.3% | |
| Cash | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £464,921,952 | £484,944,862 | £436,393,969 | £411,942,341 | -5.6% | |
| Net assets | £464,921,952 | £484,944,862 | £436,393,969 | £411,942,341 | -5.6% | |
| Equity | £464,921,952 | £484,944,862 | £436,393,969 | £411,942,341 | -5.6% | |
| Average employees | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| Wages | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | — | — | — | — |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on capital employed | -0.0% | -0.0% | -0.1% | -0.4% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 30.3% | 1.9% | 12.9% | 33.8% | |
| Current ratio | — | 0.11x | 0.00x | 0.40x | |
| Interest cover | -0.00x | -0.06x | -0.07x | -0.22x |
Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LIMITED 2013-06-28 → present
- PENGUIN PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED(THE) 1962-09-05 → 2013-06-28
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton UK LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, being a period of no less than twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements.”
Group structure
- PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LIMITED · parent
- Dorling Kindersley Limited 100%
- Dorling Kindersley Publishing Private Limited 100%
- Hugo's Language Books Limited 100%
- Penguin Australia Pty Limited 100%
- Penguin Books Limited 100%
- Penguin Random House SEA Pte.Ltd 100%
- Penguin Group (Hongkong) Limited 100%
- Penguin Random House India Private Limited 100%
- The Random House Group Limited 100%
- Flaname 0 Limited 100%
- Flaname 1 Limited 100%
- Flaname 2 Limited 100%
- Flaname 3 Limited 100%
- Flaname 4 Limited 100%
- Flaname 5 Limited 100%
- Flaname 6 Limited 100%
- Flaname 7 Limited 100%
- Flaname 8 Limited 100%
- Little Tiger Press Limited 100%
- Editora Schwarcz S.A 85%
- Hay House UK Limited 100%
- PRH International Services Limited 100%
- Caterpillar Books Limited 100%
- Stripes Publishing Limited 100%
- Yeti Bidco Limited 90%
Significant events
- “On 2 June 2025 the Company acquired a 90% holding in Yeti Bidco Limited for consideration of £36,741,703.”
- “On 1 December 2025 the Company acquired one additional share in its subsidiary company Dorling Kindersley Limited for consideration of £30,000,000.”
- “On 29 December 2025 the Company disposed of Penguin Random House Korea LLC for £61,706, resulting in a gain on disposal of £61,706.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
3 active · 43 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARTIN, Sinead Mary | Secretary | 2016-09-15 | — | — |
| GARDINER, Mark William | Director | 2020-04-01 | Apr 1961 | British |
| WELDON, Thomas Daryl | Director | 2020-04-01 | Aug 1963 | British |
Show 43 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGLE, Cecily Julia | Secretary | 1995-11-24 | 2000-07-28 |
| PEACOCK, Helena Caroline | Secretary | 2000-07-28 | 2016-06-30 |
| WILLIAMS, Nigel John | Secretary | — | 1995-11-24 |
| ALBERTI-PEREZ, Milena | Director | 2015-07-01 | 2017-12-31 |
| ATTENBOROUGH, Elizabeth Margaret | Director | — | 1995-09-15 |
| BRENNAN, Suzanne Margaret | Director | 2009-07-06 | 2013-07-01 |
| BROWN, Marvin | Director | — | 1997-04-01 |
| CARSON, Peter Thomas Staheyeff | Director | — | 1997-12-31 |
| CLARKE, Roger Grenville Quinton | Director | 1996-01-18 | 1999-01-31 |
| DOHLE, Markus Franz-Joseph | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2020-04-01 |
| FALLON, John Joseph | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2020-04-01 |
| FIELD, Peter | Director | — | 2012-12-31 |
| FLOYER, Sally Margaret Doris | Director | 1996-01-18 | 2008-03-31 |
| FORBES WATSON, Anthony David | Director | 1996-05-09 | 2005-02-28 |
| GLOVER, Trevor David | Director | — | 1995-11-24 |
| GOTZ, Thomas Andreas, Dr | Director | 2014-01-01 | 2020-04-01 |
| GRANT, Robert Raymond | Director | 2020-04-01 | 2024-09-16 |
| HARTMANN, Judith | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2015-01-10 |
| HESSE, Thomas, Dr | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2013-12-31 |
| HIRSCH, Bernd | Director | 2016-04-01 | 2020-04-01 |
| HOFFMAN, Philip Joseph | Director | 2017-01-01 | 2017-12-31 |
| HOFFMAN, Philip Joseph | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2016-09-14 |
| HOLTZ, Alex | Director | 1996-01-18 | 1997-03-01 |
| JOHNSTON, James | Director | 2018-09-12 | 2020-04-01 |
| LANDERS, Brian James | Director | 2003-05-20 | 2009-07-31 |
| LYNTON, Michael | Director | 1996-09-17 | 2000-01-31 |
| MAKINSON, John Crowther | Director | 2002-06-01 | 2016-12-31 |
| MAYER, Peter Michael | Director | — | 1996-12-31 |
| MOORE, John Frances | Director | — | 1995-06-08 |
| PARR, Steven Raymond | Director | 1995-09-20 | 1996-12-30 |
| POWER, Charles Richard | Director | 2000-07-28 | 2003-02-28 |
| RABE, Thomas Hermann | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2020-04-01 |
| REBUCK, Gail | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2020-04-01 |
| ROLFE, John Henry | Director | — | 1997-08-01 |
| ROMAN, Emmanuel | Director | 2015-10-01 | 2017-12-31 |
| SMITH, Derek Armand | Director | 1995-06-08 | 1996-07-29 |
| WAN, David Andrew | Director | 2000-02-01 | 2002-05-31 |
| WEBSTER, John Walter | Director | — | 1996-01-19 |
| WELDON, Thomas Daryl | Director | 2010-12-31 | 2013-07-01 |
| WILLIAMS, Coram | Director | 2016-09-14 | 2020-04-01 |
| WILLIAMS, Coram | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2015-06-30 |
| WULF, Bettina | Director | 2015-01-11 | 2016-03-31 |
| ZALAZNICK, Lauren Jane | Director | 2014-05-23 | 2017-12-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearson Prh Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 25–50%, Voting 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2017-10-05 |
| Bertelsmann Uk Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 238 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2020-04-22 MA Memorandum articles
- 2020-04-22 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-15 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-03-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-09-18 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-02-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-11-04 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2024-09-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-09-16 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-02-29 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-09-26 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-02-27 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-10-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-02-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-12-20 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-03-03 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2021-02-10 | AUD | auditors | Auditors resignation company | |
| 2020-09-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2020-05-20 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2020-04-22 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2020-04-22 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2020-04-20 | SH08 | capital | Capital name of class of shares |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 2
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.