AJ Bell plc (LON:AJB), one of the UK’s largest investment platforms, today announced interim results for the six-month period ended 31 March 2020.
Performance overview
Strong financial performance as the business responded quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the safety of employees whilst remaining fully operational and continuing to service customers.
· Revenue up 22% to £60.9 million (HY19: £50.1 million)
· Profit before tax (PBT) up 28% to £22.7 million (HY19: £17.7 million)
· PBT margin up 1.9 percentage points to 37.2% (HY19: 35.3%)
· Balance sheet strengthened, with net assets up 8% in the period to £93.3 million
· Interim dividend of 1.50 pence per share (HY19: 1.50 pence per share)
· Total customers increased by a record 30,113 in the period to 262,179, up 22% over the last 12 months and 13% in the first half of the current financial year
· Total net inflows of £2.1 billion (HY19: £1.8 billion), driven by platform net inflows of £2.5 billion (HY19: £2.1 billion)
· Total assets under administration (AUA) increased by 1% over the last year, closing at £48.3 billion. AUA fell by 8% in the six-month period due to adverse market and other movements
· Customer retention rate remained high at 95.4%
Andy Bell, Chief Executive Officer at AJ Bell, commented:
“This is a strong financial performance at a time when the country faces one of its most significant challenges in decades. Our focus has been to keep our people safe while continuing to provide the vital services our customers need during times of market volatility and being here to service their needs.
This unwavering attention on our customers’ needs has helped us deliver strong organic growth in revenue and profitability. Our customer numbers increased by a record 30,113 during the period and we saw net inflows of £2.5 billion to our core platform offering. Revenue increased 22% to £60.9 million and profit before tax increased 28% to £22.7 million. In light of this strong financial performance, the Board has declared an interim dividend of 1.50 pence per share. The Board recognises the importance that our investors place on AJ Bell’s progressive dividend history and reaffirms our ongoing commitment to this and our stated dividend policy for future dividend distributions.
The effects of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to be felt for a long time, although the precise impact it will have on markets, investor sentiment and economic policy is hard to predict. However, we have operated profitably during periods of market volatility and low interest rates before and our business model has proved very resilient. The long-term growth drivers of the platform market remain in place and our strong capital position, coupled with a buoyant trading performance mean the outlook for the future of the business remains positive.”
Financial highlights
| Six months ended 31 March 2020 | Six months ended 31 March 2019 | Change | |
| Revenue | £60.9 million | £50.1 million | 22% |
| Revenue per £AUA* | 23.2bps | 22.0bps | 1.2bps |
| PBT | £22.7 million | £17.7 million | 28% |
| PBT margin | 37.2% | 35.3% | 1.9ppts |
| Diluted earnings per share | 4.36 pence | 3.50 pence | 25% |
| Interim dividend per share | 1.50 pence | 1.50 pence | – |
Non-financial highlights
| Six months ended 31 March 2020 | Year ended30 September 2019 | Change | |
| Number of retail customers | 262,179 | 232,066 | 13% |
| – Platform | 248,074 | 218,169 | 14% |
| – Non-platform | 14,105 | 13,897 | 1% |
| AUA* | £48.3 billion | £52.3 billion | (8%) |
| – Platform | £42.0 billion | £44.9 billion | (6%) |
| – Non-platform | £6.3 billion | £7.4 billion | (15%) |
| Customer retention rate | 95.4% | 95.4% | – |
AJ Bell Share price:
