GENUS PLC
GENUS PLC is a public limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 02972325, with a registered office at Matrix House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4FF. Incorporated on 26 September 1994, the company remains active on the Companies House register and is classified under UK Standard Industrial Classification code 01629, support activities for animal production.
GENUS PLC is an animal genetics business that applies genomic selection and biotechnology to breed livestock with improved genetic traits. It operates internationally through two principal businesses: ABS, which supplies dairy and beef cattle genetics, and PIC (Pig Improvement Company), which supplies pig genetics. Products are delivered as live animals, semen and embryos, supported by genomic selection services and proprietary semen-sexing technology, together with advisory services that help farmers improve herd productivity and efficiency. According to the company’s own website, GENUS PLC operates in around 30 countries across six continents and reaches a further 50 markets through distribution partners.
GENUS PLC’s ordinary shares trade on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker GNS. For the financial year ended 30 June 2026, the group reported revenue of £658.1 million, a 2% decrease on the £672.8 million reported for the year ended 30 June 2025, alongside adjusted operating profit including joint ventures of £116.0 million, up 25% year on year, and statutory profit before tax of £310.5 million. The sharp rise in statutory profit reflects a gain recognised on the disposal of a 51% majority interest in the group’s PIC China pig-genetics business, completed on 31 January 2026 through a joint venture with Beijing Capital Agribusiness Co Ltd, for a consideration of £123.1 million and net cash proceeds of £97.7 million. Alongside its preliminary results announced on 10 September 2026, GENUS PLC also confirmed a £60 million share buyback programme expected to run during the 2027 financial year. In April 2025, the group’s PIC business received US Food and Drug Administration approval for a PRRS-virus-resistant pig gene edit.
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Shareholders
5
Shareholders of GENUS PLC
As a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, GENUS PLC discloses only shareholders whose holdings cross the notification thresholds under the UK Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, rather than its complete shareholder register. According to the material shareholders information published on the company’s official website, as at 28 August 2026 the largest disclosed holder was Wellington Management Company, with 6,962,517 shares representing 10.46% of the issued share capital, followed by BlackRock, Inc. (5,013,525 shares, 7.53%), The Vanguard Group, Inc. (3,625,992 shares, 5.45%), JNE Partners LLP (3,328,330 shares, 5.00%), Baillie Gifford & Co Ltd (2,426,628 shares, 3.65%) and Capital Research and Management Company (2,335,204 shares, 3.51%). These holders are institutional investment managers that report interests on behalf of funds and clients they manage; the source does not state whether each interest is held directly or indirectly. No individual or family shareholding is disclosed above the notification threshold.
Data availability
Classification: Major shareholders only. GENUS PLC’s shareholder disclosure reflects the notifiable-interest regime that applies to UK listed companies, under which only holdings above the relevant percentage threshold are made public; smaller shareholdings and the company’s full shareholder register are not publicly available.
Sources
- Genus plc – Material shareholders, genusplc.com/investors/shareholder-information/material-shareholders/ (data as at 28 August 2026, retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Companies House – Company overview, company number 02972325 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
| Shareholder | Type | Holding | Source Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smallcap World Fund | 19.1% | Companies House | |
| Vanguard Specialized-Health Care Fund | 11.5% | Companies House | |
| Intl Growth & Income Fd.-Intl Growth and Income Fd. | 4.4% | Companies House | |
| iShares MSCI EAFE Small Cap ETF | 1.8% | Companies House | |
| iShares Trust-iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF | 1.6% | Companies House |
Officers
52
Directors and officers of GENUS PLC
Companies House records 52 officer appointments in GENUS PLC’s history, of which 10 are currently shown as active and 42 as resigned. The active officers comprise eight directors – Non-Executive Chairman Iain George Thomas Ferguson (appointed 1 July 2020), Chief Executive Jorgen Kokke (appointed director 2 May 2023), Chief Financial Officer Andrew Paul Russell (appointed 1 August 2025), Senior Independent Director Lesley Knox (appointed 1 June 2018), Non-Executive Director Lysanne Mary Gray (appointed 1 April 2016), Non-Executive Director Dr Ralph Heuser (appointed 1 January 2024), Non-Executive Director Dr Celia Frances Baxter (appointed 19 November 2025) and Non-Executive Director Dr Robert Stefan Reiter (appointed 1 January 2026) – together with two company secretaries, Vaughn Walton (appointed 1 January 2025) and Lucie Grant (appointed 17 March 2025). Companies House discloses nationality separately from country of residence for each active director: Ferguson, Gray, Knox, Russell and Baxter are recorded as British, Heuser as German, Kokke as Dutch and Reiter as American, while Kokke and Reiter are both recorded as resident in the United States, a country of residence that differs from their disclosed nationality. This reflects Companies House filings retrieved on 10 September 2026.
Recent officer changes
- Robert Stefan Reiter appointed Non-Executive Director, effective 1 January 2026 (Companies House filing).
- Celia Frances Baxter appointed Non-Executive Director, effective 19 November 2025 (Companies House filing).
- Andrew Paul Russell appointed Director and Chief Financial Officer, effective 1 August 2025, succeeding Alison Henriksen, who resigned as director on 31 July 2025 (Companies House filing; Genus plc official website).
Data availability
Classification: Full. Companies House publishes current and historical director and secretary appointments for GENUS PLC, including nationality and country of residence for individual officers; no corporate officers are currently recorded for the company.
Sources
- Companies House – Officers list, company number 02972325 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Genus plc – Our leadership, genusplc.com/about-us/our-leadership/ (retrieved 10 September 2026)
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
Group Structure
Group structure of GENUS PLC
GENUS PLC is a publicly listed company with no identified corporate parent; its largest disclosed shareholder, Wellington Management Company, holds 10.46% of the issued share capital, well below a controlling interest, and no shareholder or corporate entity is disclosed as its parent. The group has expanded historically through acquisition, notably acquiring ABS Global, Inc., a US bovine-genetics business, in 1999, and Sygen International plc, then the parent of the PIC (Pig Improvement Company) pig-genetics business, in a takeover completed on 2 December 2005; GENUS PLC continues to trade internationally through its ABS and PIC businesses. The most significant recent change to the group’s structure is the completion, on 31 January 2026, of a joint venture with Beijing Capital Agribusiness Co Ltd covering the group’s China pig-genetics operations, referred to as PIC China: GENUS PLC sold a 51% majority interest for a consideration of £123.1 million and retained a 49% non-controlling interest, which is now accounted for as an equity-accounted joint venture and no longer consolidated in the group’s results. A full list of GENUS PLC’s intermediate holding and operating subsidiaries has not been independently verified for this profile beyond the relationships shown below.
Verified corporate relationships
| Entity | Country | Registration number | Relationship | Ownership | Status | Information date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sygen International Limited | United Kingdom | 03215874 | Indirect subsidiary (acquired via 2005 takeover of Sygen International plc, then parent of the PIC pig-genetics business) | Ownership percentage not disclosed | Active | 2 December 2005 |
| ABS Global, Inc. | United States | Not disclosed | Indirect subsidiary (acquired 1999; trades as the group’s ABS bovine-genetics business) | Ownership percentage not disclosed | Active | 1999 |
| PIC China joint venture (with Beijing Capital Agribusiness Co Ltd) | China | Not disclosed | Joint venture (equity-accounted, non-controlling) | 49% | Active | 31 January 2026 |
Recent structural changes
- Completion of the Chinese porcine joint venture with Beijing Capital Agribusiness Co Ltd, 31 January 2026: disposal of a 51% majority interest in PIC China for a consideration of £123.1 million, with GENUS PLC retaining a 49% equity-accounted interest.
Data availability
Classification: Partial. GENUS PLC’s principal trading relationships and its most recent material corporate transaction are verified through company announcements and its preliminary results, but the group’s full network of intermediate holding companies and lower-tier operating subsidiaries has not been independently confirmed for this profile.
Sources
- Genus plc – Preliminary results, year ended 30 June 2026, published 10 September 2026 (investegate.co.uk)
- Genus plc – Accelerated Chinese porcine joint venture formation, company announcement, 4 September 2025 (genusplc.com)
- Companies House – Company overview, company numbers 02972325 and 03215874 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
GENUS PLC
United Kingdom
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does GENUS PLC do?
GENUS PLC (company number 02972325) is a public limited company registered in England and Wales, incorporated on 26 September 1994, that develops and supplies animal genetics for dairy and beef cattle, through its ABS business, and for pigs, through its PIC (Pig Improvement Company) business, using genomic selection and biotechnology.
Who owns GENUS PLC?
According to GENUS PLC's material shareholders disclosure, as at 28 August 2026 its largest disclosed shareholder was Wellington Management Company with 10.46% of the issued share capital, followed by BlackRock, Inc. (7.53%), The Vanguard Group, Inc. (5.45%), JNE Partners LLP (5.00%), Baillie Gifford & Co Ltd (3.65%) and Capital Research and Management Company (3.51%).
Who is GENUS PLC's UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner)?
At least one shareholder recorded for GENUS PLC is a natural person. The record carries no dedicated UBO/PSC flag, so that holder is stated here as a recorded shareholder rather than a confirmed Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO).
What is GENUS PLC's company registration number?
GENUS PLC's registration number is 02972325, filed with Companies House in United Kingdom. Its current status on the register is active.
Is GENUS PLC still an active company?
GENUS PLC's status on Companies House is listed as active.
When was GENUS PLC incorporated?
GENUS PLC was incorporated on 26 September 1994, according to Companies House.
What is GENUS PLC's registered address?
The registered address on file for GENUS PLC is Basingstoke, United Kingdom.
What legal structure is GENUS PLC registered as?
GENUS PLC is registered as a Public Limited Company in United Kingdom.
What is GENUS PLC's revenue?
For the financial year ended 30 June 2026, GENUS PLC reported group revenue of £658.1 million, a 2% decrease from the £672.8 million reported for the year ended 30 June 2025, according to preliminary results announced on 10 September 2026.
Is GENUS PLC listed on a stock exchange?
GENUS PLC's ordinary shares are listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker GNS.
Who are the officers/directors of GENUS PLC?
Companies House records eight active directors of GENUS PLC as at 10 September 2026, led by Non-Executive Chairman Iain Ferguson, Chief Executive Jorgen Kokke and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Russell, alongside two active company secretaries.
Does GENUS PLC have a parent company or subsidiaries?
GENUS PLC operates internationally through its ABS and PIC businesses and, following completion of a joint venture with Beijing Capital Agribusiness Co Ltd on 31 January 2026, retains a 49% equity-accounted, non-controlling interest in its former PIC China pig-genetics subsidiary.
Can Zavia monitor changes to GENUS PLC's ownership over time?
This profile reflects a point-in-time snapshot from Companies House. Zavia's monitoring API can track changes to GENUS PLC's registered shareholders, officers, and group structure going forward, flagging updates as they're filed rather than requiring a manual recheck.
Can I access GENUS PLC's data through an API?
Yes. Zavia's API connects directly to official government ownership registries across 195 countries and territories, including United Kingdom, so records like GENUS PLC's registration, shareholder, UBO, and group-structure data can be queried programmatically instead of viewed one page at a time.
Where does this company information come from, and how current is it?
This record is sourced directly from Companies House and was last synced on 8 September 2026.