Speedy Hire

SDY.L

Rental & Leasing Services · Industrials

Price

18.90 GBp

+0.14 (+0.75%)

Market Cap

£87.1M

Exchange

London Stock Exchange

Winston Score

Winston is worried

Below-average fundamentals — multiple weak pillars.

Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Mar 31, 2026

How the score breaks down

Quality

Mixed

Growth

Weak

Cash Flow

Weak

Stability

Weak

Valuation

Data not available

Dividends

Good

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Share count falling — buybacks

−12.9% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 529.8M (2022) → 461.3M (2026)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Speedy Hire is a UK-based equipment rental company. It rents out tools, machinery, and safety equipment to construction firms, utilities, infrastructure contractors, and other industrial businesses. The company owns a large fleet of items — from power tools and lighting to lifting gear and survey equipment — that customers borrow instead of buying outright.

Speedy Hire makes money by charging daily, weekly, or longer-term rental fees on its equipment fleet. It operates almost entirely in the UK and Ireland, with a network of depots spread across the country. Its competitive position comes from depot coverage and the breadth of its hire catalogue, though it faces strong competition from larger rivals like Sunbelt Rentals and Speedy's own relatively thin operating margins leave little room for error. The key risk is a slowdown in UK construction activity, which directly reduces demand for hired equipment and puts pressure on utilisation rates across its fleet.

Growth Profile

For growth stock investors

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-1.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

<−1,000% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

£0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (4%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

1.6%ownership

→ Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

£23M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

Speedy Hire's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale

Gross Margin

56.0%

Premium pricing power — 56.0% gross margin

Profit after running costs

Operating Margin

6.4%

Modest — 6.4% operating margin

Return on the money invested

ROCE

2.3%

Weak — 2.3% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

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Growth

Sales growth

Sales YoY

-0.1%

Shrinking sales (-0.1% YoY)

Profit growth

EPS YoY

N/A

Data not available

How steady the profit is

EPS Consistency

3/8 quarters

Earnings rarely grow — volatile business

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash

Cash Conversion

N/A

Data not available

Spare cash per sale

FCF Margin

2.8%

Thin free cash flow (2.8%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns

Debt / Equity

1.57

Elevated debt (1.57)

Covers its interest

Interest Cover

0.40x

Dangerous — barely covers interest (0.4x)

Interest coverage below 1. Their profits don't cover the interest bill.

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Valuation

Price vs profit

P/E Ratio (TTM)

N/M

Negative earnings — P/E not meaningful

Cheaper or dearer next year

P/E vs Forward

N/A

not available

Data not available

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Dividends

Dividend

Dividend Yield

5.29%

Healthy income — 5.29% yield

Generous yield. Worth checking whether the payout is sustainable.

Dividend record

Dividend Growth

-30.8%

Dividend cut (-30.8% YoY) — warning sign

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