In a trading statement issued today (3 April), the greeting card and gifting giant said that sales for its financial year ending 30 April were expected to be between £350m-£353m, while adjusted EBITDA margins will be at the top end of guidance at 25%-27%.

Sales last year were £341.1m.

The group also announced plans for a further £60m share buyback programme.

Its inaugural six-month £25m share repurchase programme currently underway is expected to complete by the financial year-end.

CEO Nickyl Raithatha said that AI personalisation tools were taking off.

He commented: “Our strong performance reflects our unique customer proposition and sustained investments in technology and data.

“By using technology, data and AI, we help our customers express themselves and connect with their loved ones, deepening engagement and strengthening loyalty.”

He said that one in three Valentine's Day cards created via Moonpig and Greetz featured at least one of the group’s personalisation tools, such as AI handwriting, or audio and video messages.

“We've been delighted with the positive reaction to our latest feature, AI generated stickers for the inside of cards, where customers have already created over one million personalised images in just the few weeks since the launch.”

Moonpig also noted “strong growth” in gift attachment rates at Moonpig and Greetz in H2, “supported by enhanced recommendation algorithms and the introduction of trusted third-party brands to our curated gifting range”.

Shares in Moonpig were up just over 4% on the news at 229.50p at the time of writing. The shares have risen by more than 9% since the start of the year (52-week high: 277.50p, low: 148.20p).