Trading Statement

RNS Number:3518U
SDL PLC
19 January 2004


Embargoed until Monday 19th January


                            SDL plc ("the Company")

                                 Trading update

   Year end profits expected to be significantly ahead of market expectations

SDL plc, one of the world's leading providers of translation software and
services, today announces that profits for the year ended 31 December 2003 are
expected to be significantly ahead of market expectations.

The Company is expecting to be able to report profits before taxation and
amortisation of goodwill and intangible fixed assets of not less than #4 million
(2002: #1.2 million), versus a market expectation of #2.9 million, and revenues
for the full year of approximately #64 million (2002: #58 million) also ahead of
analysts' expectations.  The Company is expecting to be able to report revenues
of #33 million in the second half of the year ended 31 December 2003, some 10%
ahead of the comparative period last year.

Commenting on the factors that drove this outperfomance, Mark Lancaster, Chief
Executive of SDL said today:

"A combination of factors have led to the Group outperforming earlier
expectations.  First, by combining advanced technology with translation and
localisation services, we have been able to provide our customers with more cost
effective solutions, whilst also improving margins. This also resulted in a
faster, uptake of our solutions strategy than had been expected

Second, we have seen larger corporates seeking to consolidate their supplier
bases to those that can provide solutions on a global scale - and this plays to
our strengths of a truly global infrastructure."

For further information please contact:

SDL plc                                                      Tel:  [phone]
Mark Lancaster, Chief Executive Officer
Alastair Gordon, Chief Finance Officer
Website:  www.sdl.com

Financial Dynamics                                           Tel:  [phone]
Edward Bridges / Ben Way




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