UK pollster YouGov explores unit sale as AI investments squeeze profit

* YouGov's Shopper unit profits halve

* Shares fall as ​much as ⁠22%

* Forecasts lower fiscal 2026 profit

* JP ​Morgan forecasts mid-term earnings downgrades (Adds shares, CEO comment, analyst comment and details throughout)

March 24 (Reuters) - Market research ​firm ‌YouGov on Tuesday launched a strategic review of its Shopper division and warned that fiscal ⁠2026 profit will fall due to extra investment ⁠in the struggling unit, sending ​its shares to a near-decade low.

Shopper, which provides household purchase data across 17 European countries and generated more than a third of YouGov's revenue last year, saw its first-half ​profit ‌halve due to heavy spending to maintain competitiveness.

Traditional market research firms are racing to adapt as clients demand faster, cheaper insights while AI disrupts data collection, pushing companies such as YouGov to invest even as margins narrow.

The review comes two ​years after YouGov bought Shopper, previously called Consumer Panel Services, from German rival ‌GfK for 315 million euros ($365 million).

YouGov shares dropped as much as 22% to their lowest since May 2016, taking year-to-date ‌losses to around 40%.

AGE OF AI

"During the period we have increased the level of targeted investments in both Shopper and our AI-enabled products, which we believe will ​reposition our platform as the industry-leading pioneer in the age of AI," CEO Stephan Shakespeare said ‌in a statement, referring to the six months to the end of January.

The company expects full-year adjusted operating profit of 52 million pounds to 56 million pounds, ⁠down ⁠from 60.7 million pounds last year.

It said additional spending on ‌Shopper would cost 6 million pounds in fiscal 2026 and that without this annual profit would have ​been flat year-on-year.

First-half ​adjusted operating profit fell 20% to 24 million pounds.

Higher-than-expected ‌investments in Shopper and AI-enabled products will lead to mid-term earnings downgrades, JPMorgan analysts said.

YouGov