Helios Towers PLC
17 September 2026
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the
Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law (UK MAR)
Share buyback authorisation increased by US$100 million to US$175 million
London, 17 September 2026: Helios Towers plc ("Helios Towers", "the Group" or "the Company"), the independent mobile tower company, announces that its Board has approved an incremental return of up to US$100 million to shareholders through an extension of the Company's share buyback programme to purchase ordinary shares in the Company with nominal value of £0.01 each (the "Buyback Programme").
The additional authorisation increases the total size of the Buyback Programme from US$75 million to US$175 million and extends the expected completion date by one year to 31 December 2027. The authorisation accelerates delivery against Helios Towers' capital allocation targets under IMPACT 2030, including over US$400 million of total shareholder distributions, including both share buybacks and dividends, through to 2030.
Implementation of the Buyback Programme
The existing Buyback Programme will continue under the arrangements already announced. Further non-discretionary arrangements with one or more brokers in respect of the additional authorisation are expected to be entered into in tranches, with further details to be announced in due course. The broker appointed for each tranche will act as principal and make trading decisions independently of the Company, in accordance with pre-set parameters.
All ordinary shares repurchased under the Buyback Programme will be cancelled. The purpose of the Buyback Programme is to return capital to shareholders and optimise the Company's capital structure.
The Buyback Programme will take place within the limitations of the authority granted by shareholders to the Board at the Company's Annual General Meeting held on 14 May 2026 (and as such authority may be renewed and/or amended). The maximum number of ordinary shares that can be purchased by the Company pursuant to the general authority granted by shareholders is 104,797,605.
The timing and total value of share repurchases will depend on market conditions, share price, trading volumes and other relevant factors. The Buyback Programme is intended to be conducted in accordance with the UK Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 (as incorporated into UK law), Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 (as in force in the UK from time to time), applicable laws and the regulations of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, including Chapter 9 of the UK Listing Rules, save that shares may also be repurchased through participation in secondary block trades.
Helios Towers will make further regulatory announcements in respect of purchases under the Buyback Programme no later than the end of the seventh daily market session following the date of execution of each purchase, in accordance with applicable regulations.
The Company expects to complete the Buyback Programme by 31 December 2027 and will make further announcements as required. There is no guarantee that the Buyback Programme will be implemented in full.
Investor Relations
Chris Baker-Sams – Head of Strategic Finance and Investor Relations
investorrelations@heliostowers.com
+44 (0)782 511 2288
Mike Allison – Strategic Finance and Investor Relations Manager
investorrelations@heliostowers.com
+44 (0)754 070 6833
Media relations
Andy Rivett-Carnac Headland
+44 (0)796 899 7365
HeliosTowers@headlandconsultancy.com
Upcoming Conferences and Events
- RMB 2026 Annual Off Piste Investor Conference (Cape Town) - 17 September 2026
- RBC 2026 Global Communications Infrastructure Conference (Chicago) - 29 to 30 September 2026
About Helios Towers
- Helios Towers is a leading independent mobile tower company connecting people and powering growth across Africa and the Middle East. We deliver world-class operations at over 15,000 mobile tower sites across nine countries in Africa and the Middle East - the fastest growing region globally for mobile services - providing mission critical infrastructure and power services to leading mobile network operators (“MNOs”).
- Our pioneering approach enables colocation - the sharing of telecom tower sites - by hosting multiple MNOs on individual sites, creating benefits in the performance quality, the environmental impact, and the cost of rolling out and running mobile networks in our markets.
- Helios Towers' business excellence methodology focuses on delivering world-class performance for its customers - centred around the development and upskilling of its people. We foster a culture of learning and continuous improvement to deliver global standards in processes and innovation, which makes us the partner of choice for all the region’s leading MNOs.
- As one of the largest and fastest-growing FTSE-listed companies focused on operating in Africa and the Middle East, Helios Towers’ disciplined approach to capital allocation, long-term partnerships with leading MNOs and its operational capabilities deliver resilient performance that is reshaping digital connectivity in the region and catalysing investment that is essential to unlocking its human and economic potential.
Alternative Performance Measures
The Group has presented a number of Alternative Performance Measures (APMs), which are used in addition to IFRS statutory performance measures. The Group believes that these APMs, which are not considered to be a substitute for or superior to IFRS measures, provide stakeholders with additional helpful information on the performance of the business. These APMs are consistent with how the business performance is planned and reported within the internal management reporting to the Board. Profit before tax, gross profit, non-current and current loans and long-term and short-term lease liabilities are the equivalent statutory measures (see ‘Certain defined terms and conventions’). For more information on the Group’s Alternative Performance Measures, see the Group’s Annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025, published on the Group’s website. Reconciliations of APMs to the equivalent statutory measure are included in the Group’s Half-Year and Annual financial reports.
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