Advertising group WPP and private equity firm Bain Capital are reportedly planning a sale of Kantar, jointly owned by the two companies, with advisers likely to be appointed this autumn to oversee the disposal of the market research and data analytics business.

The disposal could take place in stages, with Kantar's consumer data business potentially valued at $5bn-$7bn. Its remaining marketing strategy operation could also be sold separately and may attract interest from French research group Ipsos, reports this weekend suggested.

Kantar, which sold its media arm to H.I.G. Capital for $1bn in 2025, generated $2.79bn of trailing 12-month gross revenue and adjusted earnings of $634.9m in Q1 2026.

WPP owns 40% of the business, with Bain Capital holding the remaining 60%.

The potential sale fits CEO Cindy Rose's strategy of simplifying WPP, reducing debt and disposing of non-core assets while increasing investment in AI and its WPP Open platform. WPP has said it expects more than £200m of disposal proceeds during 2026, with further disposals possible in 2027.

There has been no official announcement or comment from WPP or Kantar.

WPP shares have recently traded around £3.90, following a strong rally after its August results. The stock jumped more than 20% on 6 August as investors responded positively to results and greater confidence in Rose's turnaround strategy.

---