TIDMPMI
RNS Number : 3539I
Premier Miton Group PLC
02 December 2022
PREMIER MITON GROUP PLC
FULL YEAR RESULTS FOR THE YEARED 30 SEPTEMBER 2022
Premier Miton Group plc ('Premier Miton', 'Company' or 'Group'),
the AIM quoted fund management group, today announces its final
results for the year ended 30 September 2022.
Highlights
-- GBP10.6 billion closing Assets under Management (4) ('AuM') (2021: GBP13.9 billion)
-- GBP11.3 billion closing AuM at 25 November 2022 (unaudited)
-- Net outflows of GBP1,076 million for the year (2021: GBP830 million inflow)
-- Strong investment performance with 87% of funds in the first
or second quartile of their respective sectors since launch or fund
manager tenure (2021: 83%)
-- Adjusted profit before tax (1,4) of GBP24.3 million (2021: GBP28.6 million)
-- Adjusted earnings per share (2,4) of 13.79 pence (2021: 16.46 pence)
-- Profit before tax (3) of GBP14.9 million (2021: GBP17.5 million)
-- Cash balances were GBP45.8 million at 30 September 2022 (2021: GBP47.7 million)
-- Final proposed dividend of 6.3 pence per share (2021: 6.3 pence per share)
-- Total proposed dividend for the year of 10.0 pence per share (2021: 10.0 pence per share)
-- Significant investment in fund management and distribution
talent over the last three years to help create a modern, active
asset management business positioned for future growth
Notes
(1) Adjusted profit before tax is calculated before the
deduction of taxation, amortisation, share-based payments, merger
related costs and exceptional costs. Reconciliation included within
the Financial Review section.
(2) Adjusted earnings per share is calculated before the
deduction of amortisation, share-based payments, merger related
costs and exceptional costs.
(3) Merger related costs totalled GBP0.1 million during the year
(2021: GBP1.4 million).
(4) These are Alternative Performance Measures ('APMs').
Mike O'Shea, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Miton Group,
commented:
"I am pleased to deliver a resilient set of results for the
Group despite tougher market conditions. I believe we remain well
positioned to achieve our long-term growth ambitions. We have a
financially robust business and a diversified range of products
delivering excellent outcomes for our clients over the medium to
long term. I am very much of the view that when confidence returns,
investors will increasingly seek genuinely active strategies as
they look to deliver added value for their clients above benchmark
returns. Premier Miton is well placed to take advantage of this
opportunity, given our track record of delivering strong investment
performance for our clients.
"Across our fund range, our relative investment performance
remains attractive, with 87% of our funds in the first or second
quartile of their respective sectors since manager inception.
Shorter-term numbers also remain encouraging with 88% of funds
above median over three years.
"As part of our long-term growth strategy, we have continued to
invest in our business. We were pleased to announce the appointment
of Jonathan Willcocks as our Global Head of Distribution. Jonathan
will play a key role in developing and leading our distribution and
marketing strategy as we expand our investment strategies,
diversify our client base and seek to grow AuM with both wholesale
and institutional investors. During the year, we also announced
that Matthew Tillett joined the Group in October 2022 as manager of
the Premier Miton UK Value Opportunities Fund.
"Our fund management team is experienced and respected, with a
proven track record of delivering strong investor outcomes over
many years. Our business has the operational infrastructure to
manage a multiple of the assets it currently looks after. We
believe that the demand for what we do will grow significantly in
the more challenging investment environment we are now in and that
we have built the necessary distribution and marketing reach and
experience to capitalise on this opportunity.
"Finally, it has been encouraging to see a recovery in assets
under management since the year end and to have seen a return to
net positive flows into our funds during the first two months of
the current financial year."
S
For further information, please contact:
Premier Miton Group plc
Mike O'Shea, Chief Executive Officer 01483 306 090
Investec Bank plc (Nominated Adviser and
Broker)
Bruce Garrow / Ben Griffiths / Virginia
Bull / Harry Hargreaves 020 7260 1000
Edelman Smithfield Consultants (Financial
PR) 07785 275665 /
John Kiely / Latika Shah 07950 671948
Notes to editors:
Premier Miton Investors is focused on delivering good investment
outcomes for investors through relevant products and active
management across its range of investment strategies, which include
equity, fixed income, multi-asset and absolute return.
LEI Number: 213800LK2M4CLJ4H2V85
Chairman's Statement
The last year has been badly affected by material macroeconomic
and geopolitical events and their consequent deep impact on
financial and investment markets. Our results reflect this.
Performance
At 30 September 2022, we had Assets under Management ('AuM') of
GBP10.6 billion, a reduction of 24% on last year end. This change
reflects both market movements and net outflows, which have
occurred across the UK savings industry.
Investment performance is fundamental to our success as a
business and I am pleased that this remains strong with 87% of
funds in the first or second quartile of their respective sectors
since launch or fund manager tenure (2021: 83%).
Results & dividend
The Group's profit before tax for the year was GBP14.9 million
representing a fall of 15% on the comparative year. At 30 September
2022 the Group was robustly financed with no debt and cash balances
of GBP45.8 million.
When considering the dividend, the board focuses on both nearer
term commercial decisions and longer-term strategic horizons, to
ensure the interests of the business as a whole and of our
shareholders are accommodated. We are proud to have created a
financially strong business, adhering to a prudent approach to
capital management. Our dividend policy is an important part of
this framework.
Asset management is a cyclical business where external market
factors can have a significant short-term impact on revenues,
irrespective of the long-term strengths and prospects for the
business. We have a disciplined approach on costs and a track
record of managing the business efficiently. This focus is critical
in managing our operational leverage and is reflected in the
strength of the balance sheet, despite the challenging conditions
we are navigating.
We also believe that shareholders should benefit directly from
the financial performance of the business, which includes our cash
generation should the circumstance and opportunity allow. Equally,
we know that shareholders will understand how important it is that
the business retains sufficient balance sheet strength, so that we
can fully take advantage of the recovery when it comes.
Having assessed all this carefully, and to reward shareholders
appropriately for their long-term support of the business, the
Board is recommending an annual dividend for 2022 of 10.0p per
share. If approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on
1 February 2023, the nal dividend of 6.3p per share will be paid on
10 February 2023 to shareholders on the register at 13 January
2023. The proposed annual dividend represents a 72% pay-out ratio
of adjusted pro t after tax (2021: 61%).
We see this as a pragmatic deviation from our stated dividend
policy which we are otherwise not changing. It reflects our prudent
views on the current commercial and strategic position of the
business, our balance sheet needs, and our attention to delivering
through the cycle returns to our shareholders.
Environmental, Social & Governance ('ESG')
The role of the investment industry in ESG matters, particularly
environment and climate change aspects, is under great scrutiny.
The debate over what we do and how has advanced considerably over
the last year or so, and we expect this to continue to evolve. We
know that our stakeholders can have strong views on this and want
us to have a position that makes sense to them, which can at times
present us with the challenge of balancing these interests.
The Board takes its governance and strategy setting role
seriously on these matters and we have sought to inform ourselves
and have, over the last year, debated how we best position Premier
Miton for success. In November 2022 we made a commitment to the Net
Zero Asset Managers initiative and we look forward to reporting on
our future progress in this important area.
Culture & people
Businesses operating in the asset management sector need a
healthy culture to prosper and serve their fundamental purposes.
The Board takes its responsibilities seriously on supervising and
shaping our culture, ensuring that through our organisation we are
doing what we should and must, and for the right reasons. I was
pleased by the results of culture surveys undertaken during the
year and I am conscious that with the current strains on markets
and our industry, we will continue to focus in this area.
We have talented, hard-working and motivated staff who have
coped remarkably well with the challenges of the year, and I thank
them. As a business we seek to provide our people with an
environment where they can develop their talents and performance,
as well as enjoy and be proud to work at Premier Miton. I am
pleased to see the various initiatives we have underway and how our
leadership group have engaged with creating a high performance and
positive culture.
Under Mike O'Shea's strong and effective leadership, we have a
committed and hard-working executive team who again have shown that
they stand out in our industry for their skills and
capabilities.
I was especially pleased that Jonathan Willcocks has joined us
at the end of the year as our new Global Head of Distribution,
bringing with him a depth of experience and reserves of energy that
I am sure will be invaluable to us over the coming years.
Our reward model needs to work well and is important for the
success of the business. During the year we updated our approach
and made awards for the first time under the 2016 Long Term
Incentive Plan for the senior executive team. These are designed to
motivate and reward exceptional performance on a basis of fully
aligned interests, especially with those of our shareholders. The
scheme is structured in line with others in our market and has the
usual protections built in. The Board will closely monitor this as
we proceed to ensure that it is effective.
Finally, I must thank my colleagues on the Board for their
support and counsel over the year. They have all made valuable
contributions in what is a challenging time for all businesses.
Having the right culture is vital for a healthy business and the
Board strives to set the appropriate tone in our work and
contribution across all aspects of our roles. I would especially
like to thank Will Smith who left the Board on 30 September 2022
having served for six years, latterly as our Senior Independent
Director and Chair of Remuneration Committee.
Strategy
We have a clear purpose in actively managing our assets for the
benefit of our clients and we take a long term view of how we do
this. We believe in the value of active asset management and are
committed to delivering this for the benefit of our clients. Our
strategy is designed to support this purpose. As a Board we monitor
this closely and work with our management team to make sure that
our decisions and resources are aligned with this purpose. In this
way, we believe that the needs and ambitions of our other key
stakeholders, particularly our people and shareholders, will also
be fully supported through executing our strategy to the best of
our ability.
The investment industry matters, to our clients as well as to
business and our economy, perhaps especially so over the coming
period as we go through these challenging times while holding on to
the prospect of better days ahead. There is currently considerable
political debate about the role in the UK of business and capital
and investment markets, as well as on the UK's own needs and
positioning.
This debate is likely to continue for some time and matters not
just for the future of our own business but for broader societal
interests. We hope that the fundamental issues at stake are
resolved in a way that provides us with improvements to the
environment where, as a high performing, active investment firm, we
can further prosper.
We are fortunate that through careful management Premier Miton
has several attributes that hold us in good stead strategically
even for a relatively small player in the market. Aside from our
products and performance, these include our culture, focus and
leadership expertise, all of which have served us well over the
year as we have explored tactical and strategic choices. They are
likely to be called on again over the coming period and we will not
hesitate to engage constructively with emerging opportunities and
challenges alike in the interests of our business as a whole.
Outlook
We are a business focused on the long term, and at the core of
what we do is the unconstrained approach of our portfolio managers
to make investment decisions that are designed to deliver
attractive returns to our clients over time.
We are determined that Premier Miton will be run in a
disciplined way and not only endure but will use this period to
improve our business, performing as well as we can for our clients,
curating our resources to the best of our abilities, and readying
the business to attract inflows of funds as and when broad
sentiment recovers. Our ambition remains bold and we remain
resilient and positive.
Robert Colthorpe
Chairman
01 December 2022
Chief Executive Officer's Statement
The last 12 months have been a challenging period for the
business. However, this must be set in the context of a major shift
in market conditions, the impact of which will be felt for several
years to come. For the first time in many years, we have seen a
concerted effort by leading central banks to drain liquidity from
markets and to raise interest rates to contain inflation. This,
alongside significantly higher geopolitical tension following the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, has caused bond yields to rise rapidly
and equity markets to retrench.
Despite these challenging conditions, which have resulted in net
outflows and a lower level of Assets under Management, the Group
remains well positioned to achieve its growth ambitions, including
our medium term ambition to reach GBP20 billion. We have a
financially robust business and a diversified range of products
delivering excellent outcomes for our clients over the medium to
longer term. We believe that when confidence returns more investors
will seek genuinely active strategies as they look to deliver added
value for their clients above and beyond benchmark returns. Premier
Miton is well placed to take advantage of this opportunity, given
our track record of delivering strong investment performance for
our clients, across a range of asset classes.
Business performance
At the end of September 2022 Assets under Management ('AuM')
stood at GBP10.6 billion representing a decrease of 24% on last
year. Average AuM stood at GBP12.6 billion for the period, which is
broadly the same level as the previous year.
The drop in AuM is largely a result of falling markets and a
reluctance on the part of investors to invest during market
turbulence and uncertain macro-conditions.
The net management fee margin (the retained revenue of the firm
after deducting the costs of external Authorised Corporate
Directors ('ACD'), OCF caps, direct research costs and any enhanced
fee arrangements), was 64.6bps compared with 65.0bps last year.
The adjusted operating margin decreased from 33.8% to 30.0%
reflecting the lower level of AuM and our strategic investment in
the fixed cost base of the business via new fund management teams
and the launch of new funds, which in turn will enhance the Group's
growth profile going forward.
Despite this reduction in adjusted operating margin, the Group
remains robustly profitable, generating GBP24.3 million of adjusted
profit before tax for the year and a closing cash position of
GBP45.8 million.
Investment flows
The more difficult market conditions we have seen over the last
year have unfortunately prevented us from building on the positive
net flows we saw during the previous year. Fears over the future
path of interest rates, rising inflation and the ongoing conflict
in Ukraine have increased the risk aversion of investors who have
understandably remained cautious about committing new investments
during this period.
The Group experienced net outflows of GBP1.1 billion during the
year, reflecting this tough backdrop. The main driver for outflows
came from our equity funds with net redemptions split almost
equally between our UK and non-UK equity funds. Within multi-asset,
it was pleasing to see positive flows into our directly invested
multi-asset strategies which continue to appeal to the UK financial
adviser community, although continued redemptions from our
multi-manager strategies more than offset these, leaving us in net
redemption for the year.
Finally, we saw good flows into our fixed income strategies
which helped us to build on the solid progress made here in the
previous year. I should highlight that with fixed income markets
repricing and yields rising, investors are now beginning to look
afresh at this sector. This gives us encouragement for the growth
of our fixed income funds over the coming year and beyond,
especially considering that our fixed income team are building
towards an attractive three year track record having commenced
management of our fund range in mid-2020.
For the 12 months to 30 September 2022, gross redemptions from
open-ended funds run by the Group were down 4% year on year,
however, gross inflows into these products were down 35% over the
same period.
We take some comfort from this because it reflects a lack of
appetite to invest that has driven the move from net inflow last
year to net outflow this year. We believe that the Group should be
positioned favourably when confidence returns to markets and
capital starts to be allocated again.
Investment performance
As highlighted above, the last year has been much more difficult
in terms of making positive progress for our investors. Our
strategies are not immune to falling equity and bond markets in the
short term and we recognise that it is disappointing for investors
to see the value of their holdings fall. However, these periods
often present good opportunities for active managers to take
advantage of falling prices and to position their portfolios to do
well as and when markets recover. Of course, we tend to measure
performance success over multi year periods and when looking across
our fund range, our performance relative to peers remains
strong.
We manage 34 funds where a peer group comparison is relevant.
Looking at the period since our managers commenced management of
these funds, 22 achieved first quartile performance compared to
peers and a further eight are in the second quartile. Three are in
the third quartile and just one is in the fourth quartile. In
total, this means that some 92% of these assets under management
are performing ahead of peers since we commenced management of the
funds.
Shorter term performance also remains relatively attractive. We
have 30 funds that have a three-year track record and where a
sector comparison is appropriate. Of these, 19 are in the first
quartile of their peer group and four are in the second quartile,
three are in the third quartile and four are in the fourth
quartile. In total some 75% of our AuM are performing ahead of
peers over three years.
For those funds where a sector comparison is not appropriate,
which would include funds with a volatility target or an absolute
return objective, we monitor performance outcomes closely. We are
satisfied that these funds are meeting their objectives and
producing good client outcomes over the long term. Similarly,
performance of the investment trusts and segregated mandates we
manage remain attractive relative to peers and to benchmarks over
the long term.
Fund range
The Group divides its funds under management into three asset
class categories, equities, multi-asset, and fixed income. At the
year end, we managed GBP6.1 billion in equities of which GBP2.4
billion was invested in UK equities and GBP3.7 billion is invested
in non-UK equities. Our multi-asset strategies totalled GBP3.3
billion and our fixed income strategies were GBP1.2 billion.
In September 2022 we announced that Matthew Tillett would join
the Group in October 2022 from Allianz Global Investors. Matthew
will take over as manager of the Premier Miton UK Value
Opportunities Fund from Andy Jackson who is retiring at the end of
December 2022. We are delighted that we have attracted another
talented fund manager to the team. I believe that Matthew's high
conviction, value investing style and contrarian mindset is very
well suited to the Premier Miton investment culture.
During the year we have continued to enhance our product range.
In keeping with our ambition to expand our ESG-focused products, we
introduced the Premier Miton Diversified Sustainable Growth Fund in
March. This is part of our successful Diversified multi-asset fund
range.
The Diversified investment team assumed management of this fund
in 2021 and we are pleased to note that the fund is attracting
positive sales flows and performance of the fund over this period
has been strong relative to peers. The Diversified Sustainable
Growth Fund was recently nominated in the 'Best ESG Fund' category
at the Shares Awards organised by Shares magazine and published by
investment platform and stockbroker, AJ Bell.
We now have a total of six funds that have a dedicated
responsible and sustainable investing objective. This number will
increase to seven in 2023 with the launch of a new global emerging
market sustainable equity strategy led by Fiona Manning and William
Scholes who joined the Group in August 2022.
We remain committed to supporting relevant responsible investing
related initiatives. We are a signatory to the Financial Reporting
Council's Stewardship Code and achieved a B- rating for our most
recent CDP submission covering our environmental impacts,
processes, and plans. We have also partnered with Climate Action
100+, an investor led initiative to ensure the world's largest
corporate greenhouse gas emitters take necessary action on climate
change. We have participated in CDP's Non-Disclosure Campaign,
offering us the opportunity to actively engage companies that have
received the CDP disclosure request on behalf of investors but have
not provided a response. The objective of the campaign is to drive
further corporate transparency around climate change,
deforestation, and water security, by encouraging companies to
respond to CDP's disclosure request.
Distribution
Having appointed a new Global Head of Distribution, we have now
taken the important step of creating a single unified team approach
to the UK wholesale market. This will result in a UK wholesale
distribution team capable of taking all the Group's strategies to
all clients across equities, fixed income and multi-asset.
This, combined with a more strategic and consistent approach to
marketing and sales under a single head will, I believe, enhance
the overall distribution capabilities of the Group. In addition,
the hire of a Head of Institutional Business Development opens a
new distribution channel for the Group where we have already
identified a select list of strategies that resonate with
institutional investors.
Lastly, we are aware that we have several investment strategies
across the three core asset classes that will appeal to
international investors, and we will be exploring how to capitalise
on that opportunity in the coming year. I look forward to reporting
on future progress in this important area.
Strategy
In the period immediately following the merger of Premier and
Miton in November 2019, we set ourselves four key objectives for
the business. The first of these was to integrate the business onto
a single operating platform with appropriate risk, compliance and
operating capability and capacity to manage a significant multiple
of the assets we currently manage.
Our second objective was to broaden our product range to offer a
diverse range of strategies that would meet the needs of both our
current and future clients. With this in mind, we have added
several global equity strategies, a new fixed income capability and
broadened our suite of sustainable strategies.
Our third objective was to both broaden and reinvigorate our
distribution capabilities as highlighted above.
Our final objective was to ensure that the business was
appropriately resourced with the necessary balance sheet strength
to weather the storms we would inevitably face.
Throughout this period of change, our focus has remained on
actively and responsibly managing our clients' investments for a
better financial future. We believe that this is best done by
adopting a genuinely active investment approach where our
portfolios are often very different from the underlying indices
against which our funds are compared.
Our thesis is that this will result in better outcomes over the
long term than investing in all the companies - good and bad - in a
particular index. We accept that for much of the last decade when
interest rates and inflation have been falling and when central
banks have been flooding markets with liquidity, investing in many
equity and bond indices has achieved respectable returns.
However, in our view the world has changed significantly over
the course of the last 12 months and not just because of heightened
geopolitical tensions, although these may have helped to hasten
this change. With central banks withdrawing liquidity from the
world economy and interest rates rising, perhaps belatedly, to
supress inflationary forces, the outlook is more uncertain than it
has been since the financial crisis of 2008/9.
Several things strike us about this new world that we find
ourselves in. The first of which is that there will be no quick
return to the easy money days of the last decade. Interest rates
and inflation will be higher, and higher for longer, than many
people expect. The forces of globalisation that helped drive down
inflation have dissipated for the foreseeable future.
The second is that growth will be lower - an inevitable function
of high levels of indebtedness - and investors will be forced to
work much harder for the returns they need, to keep pace with
inflation and achieve their financial objectives. It is in this
environment where we believe that genuinely active managers can
excel.
We look forward to meeting our clients' expectations and
investing actively and responsibly in these more challenging
markets.
Closing
In closing, the business has a diversified range of genuinely
active funds managed by a respected and experienced fund management
team with a proven track record of delivering strong investor
outcomes over many years. It has the operational infrastructure to
manage a multiple of the assets the business currently looks
after.
We believe that the demand for what we do will grow
significantly in the more challenging investment environment we are
now in. We have built the necessary distribution and marketing
reach to capitalise on this opportunity as markets recover. The
operational leverage within the business will come to the fore as
we build our AuM from the current levels. In summary, it is our
belief that the business is well placed to deliver for its clients
and for its shareholders.
And finally, our business is nothing without the hard work,
skill and enthusiasm of the people that have chosen to build their
careers with us. I am continually impressed with how focused each
one of them is on delivering for our investors. I would like to
thank them all personally for their continued support and
dedication.
Mike O'Shea
Chief Executive Officer
01 December 2022
Financial Review
Financial performance
Profit before tax decreased to GBP14.9 million (2021: GBP17.5
million).
Adjusted profit before tax *, which is after adjusting for
amortisation, share-based payments, merger related costs and
exceptional costs decreased to GBP24.3 million (2021: GBP28.6
million).
Adjusted profit and profit before tax
2022 2021 %
GBPm GBPm Change
----------------------------- ------ ------ -------
Net revenue 81.2 84.5
Administrative expenses (56.8) (55.8)
Adjusted profit before tax * 24.3 28.6 (15)
----------------------------- ------ ------ -------
Amortisation (4.8) (5.1)
Share-based payments (4.5) (4.5)
Merger related costs (0.1) (1.4)
Exceptional costs - (0.1)
----------------------------- ------ ------ -------
Profit before tax 14.9 17.5 (15)
----------------------------- ------ ------ -------
* These are Alternative Performance Measures ('APMs').
Assets under Management * ('AuM')
A combination of net outflows totalling GBP1,076 million and
market performance resulted in the AuM ending the year at GBP10,565
million (2021: GBP13,931 million), a decrease of 24%. The Average
AuM for the year decreased by 1% to GBP12,615 million (2021:
GBP12,751 million).
Net revenue
2022 2021 %
GBPm GBPm Change
------------------------------------ ------ ------ -------
Management fees 90.6 93.2
Fees and commission expenses (9.1) (10.3)
Net management fees (1 *) 81.5 82.9 (2)
Other income (0.3) 1.6
------------------------------------ ------ ------ -------
Net revenue 81.2 84.5 (4)
------------------------------------ ------ ------ -------
Average AuM (2) 12,615 12,751 (1)
Net management fee margin (3) (bps) 64.6 65.0 (1)
------------------------------------ ------ ------ -------
1 Being management fee income less trail/rebate expenses and the
cost of capping any OCFs, direct research costs and external
Authorised Corporate Director ('ACD') fees
2 Average AuM for the year is calculated using the daily AuM
adjusted for the monthly closing AuM invested in other funds
managed by the Group
3 Net management fee margin represents net management fees divided by the average AuM
The Group's revenue represents management fees generated on the
assets being managed by the Group.
Net management fees decreased to GBP81.5 million from GBP82.9
million last year, a 2% decrease reflecting the decrease in the
Group's average AuM and net management fee margin.
The Group's net management fee margin for the year was 64.6bps.
The margin for the second half of 2022 was 63.7bps, a reduction of
2% on reported position at 31 March 2022. The decrease is driven by
the change in our business mix, the impact of flows and markets on
our existing business and share class consolidations completed in
the period.
Other loss for the year is the result of movements in the
portfolio of financial assets held on the Group's balance sheet.
See note 3 for further details.
Administration expenses
Administration expenses (excluding share-based payments)
totalled GBP56.8 million (2021: GBP55.8 million), an increase of
2%.
Staff costs continue to be the largest component of
administration expenses, these consist of both fixed and variable
elements.
The fixed staff costs, which includes salaries and associated
National Insurance, employers' pension contributions and other
indirect costs of employment increased to GBP20.4 million (2021:
GBP19.1 million). The rise predominantly reflects new joiners in
the second half of 2021, now annualised, and further investment in
people in the current year.
The average headcount for the year has increased from 153 to
164. At the year end the full time equivalent headcount was 166
(2021: 160). Variable staff costs totalled GBP17.3 million (2021:
GBP18.6 million). These costs move in line with the net revenues of
the Group and the adjusted profit before tax, hence the decrease
against the comparative period. Included within this are general
discretionary bonuses, sales bonuses and bonuses in respect of the
fund management teams, plus associated employers' national
insurance.
Overheads and other costs totalled GBP17.9 million (2021:
GBP16.7 million). The rise primarily relates to the cost of
supporting new investment teams along with increased travel costs
following the easing of COVID restrictions and additional sales and
marketing activity.
Administration expenses
2022 2021 %
GBPm GBPm Change
---------------------------- ----- ----- -------
Fixed staff costs 20.4 19.1 7
Variable staff costs 17.3 18.6 (7)
Overheads and other costs 17.9 16.7 7
Depreciation - fixed assets 0.6 0.7 -
Depreciation - leases 0.6 0.7 -
Administration expenses 56.8 55.8 2
---------------------------- ----- ----- -------
Share-based payments
The share-based payment charge for the year was GBP4.5 million
(2021: GBP4.5 million).
At 30 September 2022 the Group's Employee Benefit Trusts
('EBTs') held 12,356,304 ordinary shares representing 7.8% of the
issued ordinary share capital (2021: 10,947,088 shares).
At the year end the outstanding awards totalled 11,015,578
(2021: 10,741,362). The increase reflects 1,902,500 awards issued
during the year (2021: 3,980,000) offset by 1,628,284 awards being
exercised (2021: 1,629,478). See note 16 for further detail.
Balance sheet and cash
Total shareholders' equity as at 30 September 2022 was GBP126.8
million (2021: GBP132.2 million).
At the year end the cash balances of the Group totalled GBP45.8
million (2021: GBP47.7 million).
The Group has no external bank debt.
Capital management
Dividends totalling GBP14.7 million were paid in the year (2021:
GBP12.1 million), see note 17 for further details.
The Board is recommending a final dividend payment of 6.3p per
share bringing the total dividend payment for 2022 to 10.0p per
share (2021: 10.0p).
If approved by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on
1 February 2023, the dividend will be paid on 10 February 2023 to
shareholders on the register at the close of business on 13 January
2023.
The Group's dividend policy is to target an annual ordinary
dividend pay-out of approximately 50 to 65% of profit after tax,
adjusted for exceptional costs, share-based payments and
amortisation.
Going concern
The Directors have assessed the prospects of the Group
considering all the factors affecting the business when deciding to
adopt a going concern basis for the preparation of the
accounts.
The Directors confirm that they have a reasonable expectation
that the Group will continue to operate and meet its liabilities,
as they fall due, comprising a period of at least 12 months from
the date of this report. The Directors' assessment has been made
with reference to the Group's current position and strategy, the
Board's appetite for risk, the Group's financial forecasts, and the
Group's principal risks and how these are managed, as detailed in
the Strategic Report.
The Directors have also reviewed and examined the financial
stress testing inherent in the Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment
Process ('ICAAP'). The forecast considers the Group's
profitability, cash flows, dividend payments and other key
variables. Sensitivity analysis is also performed on certain key
assumptions used in preparing the forecast, both individually and
combined, in addition to scenario analysis that is performed as
part of the ICAAP process, which is formally approved by the
Board.
Alternative Performance Measures ('APMs')
The Directors use the following APMs in evaluating the
performance of the Group and for planning, reporting and
incentive-setting purposes.
Aligned
Used in management with shareholder Strategic
Unit appraisals returns KPI
Adjusted profit before tax
Definition: Profit before interest, taxation,
amortisation, share-based payments, merger
related costs and exceptional items.
Purpose: Except for the noted costs, this
encompasses all operating expenses in the
business, including fixed and variable staff
cash costs, except those incurred on a non-cash,
non-business as usual basis. Provides a proxy
for cash generated and is the key measure
of profitability for management decision
making. GBP -- -- --
---- ------------------ ----------------- ---------
Adjusted operating margin
Definition: Adjusted profit before tax divided
by net revenue.
Purpose: Used to determine the efficiency
of operations and the ratio of operating
expenses to revenues generated in the year. % -- -- --
---- ------------------ ----------------- ---------
Cash generated from operations
Definition: Profit before taxation adjusted
for the effects of transactions of a non-cash
nature, any deferrals or accruals and items
of income or expense associated with investing
or financing cash flows.
Purpose: Provides a measure in demonstrating
the amount of cash generated from the Group's
ongoing regular business operations. GBP --
---- ------------------ ----------------- ---------
AuM
Definition: The value of external assets
that are managed by the Group.
Purpose: Management fee income is calculated
based on the level of AuM managed. The AuM
managed by the Group is used to measure the
Group's relative size against the industry
peer group. GBP -- -- --
---- ------------------ ----------------- ---------
Net management fee
Definition: The net management fee revenue
of the Group. Calculated as gross management
fee income, less the cost of external Authorised
Corporate Directors ('ACD'), OCF caps, direct
research costs and any enhanced fee arrangements.
Purpose: Provides a consistent measure of
the profitability of the Group and its ability
to grow and retain clients, after removing
amounts paid to third parties. GBP --
---- ------------------ ----------------- ---------
Net management fee margin
Definition: Net management fees divided by
average AuM.
Purpose: A measure used to demonstrate the
blended fee rate earned from the AuM managed
by the Group. A basis point ('bps') represents
one hundredth of a percent, this measure
is used within the asset management sector
and provides comparability of the Group's
net revenue generation. bps -- --
---- ------------------ ----------------- ---------
Adjusted earnings per share (basic)
Definition: Adjusted profit after tax divided
by the weighted average number of shares
in issue in the year.
Purpose: Provides a clear measure to shareholders
of the profitability of the Group from its
underlying operations. The exclusion of amortisation,
share-based payments, merger related costs
and exceptional items provides a consistent
basis for comparability of results year on
year. p -- -- --
---- ------------------ ----------------- ---------
Financial Statements
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
For the year ended 30 September 2022
2022 2021
Notes GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------------ --------------------------- -------- --------
Revenue 3 90,233 94,726
Fees and commission expenses (9,062) (10,248)
------------------------------------ --------------------------- -------- --------
Net revenue 81,171 84,478
Administrative costs (56,818) (55,832)
Share-based payment expense 16 (4,505) (4,528)
Amortisation of intangible assets 10 (4,861) (5,117)
Merger related costs 4 (51) (1,350)
Exceptional items 4 - (126)
------------------------------------ --------------------------- -------- --------
Operating profit 5 14,936 17,525
Finance expense (23) -
------------------------------------ --------------------------- -------- --------
Profit for the year before taxation 14,913 17,525
Taxation 8 (5,346) (3,496)
------------------------------------ --------------------------- -------- --------
Profit for the year after taxation
attributable to equity holders
of the parent 9,567 14,029
------------------------------------ --------------------------- -------- --------
pence pence
--------------------------- ----- -----
Basic earnings per share 9 6.54 9.53
--------------------------- ----- -----
Diluted earnings per share 9 6.12 8.96
--------------------------- ----- -----
No other comprehensive income was recognised during 2022 or
2021. Therefore, the profit for the year is also the total
comprehensive income.
All of the amounts relate to continuing operations.
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
For the year ended 30 September 2022
Own shares
held Capital
Share Merger by an redemption Retained Total
capital reserve EBT reserve earnings Equity
Notes GBP000 GBP000 GBP000 GBP000 GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------- ----- -------- -------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- --------
At 1 October 2020 60 94,312 (14,649) 4,532 45,439 129,694
------------------------------- ----- -------- -------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- --------
Profit for the year - - - - 14,029 14,029
Purchase of own shares held
by an EBT - - (4,101) - - (4,101)
Exercise of options - - 2,960 - (2,960) -
Share-based payment expense 16 - - - - 4,528 4,528
Other amounts direct to equity - - - - (134) (134)
Deferred tax direct to equity - - - - 305 305
Equity dividends paid 17 - - - - (12,097) (12,097)
------------------------------- ----- -------- -------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- --------
At 30 September 2021 60 94,312 (15,790) 4,532 49,110 132,224
------------------------------- ----- -------- -------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- --------
Profit for the year - - - - 9,567 9,567
Purchase of own shares held
by an EBT - - (4,492) - - (4,492)
Exercise of options - - 3,538 - (3,538) -
Share-based payment expense 16 - - - - 4,505 4,505
Deferred tax direct to equity - - - - (344) (344)
Equity dividends paid 17 - - - - (14,696) (14,696)
------------------------------- ----- -------- -------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- --------
At 30 September 2022 60 94,312 (16,744) 4,532 44,604 126,764
------------------------------- ----- -------- -------- ---------- ----------- ----------------- --------
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
As at 30 September 2022
2022 2021
Notes GBP000 GBP000
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Non-current assets
Goodwill 10 70,688 70,688
Intangible assets 10 22,516 27,377
Other investments 100 100
Property and equipment 1,192 1,737
Right-of-use assets 908 1,751
Deferred tax asset 8(d) 1,928 2,166
Finance lease receivables 77 -
Trade and other receivables 11 1,081 971
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
98,490 104,790
Current assets
Financial assets at fair value through profit
and loss 2,089 3,529
Finance lease receivables 197 -
Trade and other receivables 11 136,052 146,084
Cash and cash equivalents 12 45,764 47,675
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
184,102 197,288
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Total assets 282,592 302,078
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables 13 (148,820) (163,208)
Provisions 14 - (15)
Lease liabilities (887) (870)
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
(149,707) (164,093)
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Non-current liabilities
Provisions 14 (374) (374)
Deferred tax liability 8(d) (5,485) (4,237)
Lease liabilities (262) (1,150)
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Total liabilities (155,828) (169,854)
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Net assets 126,764 132,224
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Equity
Share capital 15 60 60
Merger reserve 94,312 94,312
Own shares held by an Employee Benefit Trust (16,744) (15,790)
Capital redemption reserve 4,532 4,532
Retained earnings 44,604 49,110
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Total equity shareholders' funds 126,764 132,224
---------------------------------------------- ----- --------- ---------
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
For the year ended 30 September 2022
2022 2021
Notes GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------- ---------
Cash flows from operating activities:
Profit for the year 9,567 14,029
Adjustments to reconcile profit to net cash
flow from operating activities:
- Tax on continuing operations 8(a) 5,346 3,496
- Finance expense 7 23 -
- Interest payable on leases 60 94
- Depreciation - fixed assets 580 688
- Depreciation - leases 621 625
- Gain on derecognition of right-of-use asset (115) -
- Receivable for the net investment in sub-lease 334 -
- Loss on revaluation of financial assets at
fair value through profit and loss 345 (407)
- Loss on disposal of property and equipment 171 28
- Amortisation of intangible assets 10 4,861 5,117
- Share-based payment expense 16 4,505 4,528
- Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables 10,800 (101,769)
- (Decrease)/increase in trade and other payables (14,403) 110,162
Cash generated from operations 22,695 36,591
Income tax paid (5,352) (7,267)
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------- ---------
Net cash flow from operating activities 17,343 29,324
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------- ---------
Cash flows from investing activities:
Interest paid 7 (23) -
Acquisition of assets at fair value through
profit and loss (85) (1,261)
Proceeds from disposal of assets at fair value
through profit and loss 1,180 836
Purchase of property and equipment (207) (68)
Net cash flow from investing activities 865 (493)
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------- ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
Lease payments (931) (950)
Purchase of own shares held by an EBT (4,492) (4,101)
Equity dividends paid 17 (14,696) (12,097)
Net cash flow from financing activities (20,119) (17,148)
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------- ---------
(Decrease) / Increase in cash and cash equivalents (1,911) 11,683
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of
the year 47,675 35,992
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------- ---------
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the
year 12 45,764 47,675
------------------------------------------------------ ----- -------- ---------
Selected notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
For the year ended 30 September 2022
1. Authorisation of financial statements and statement of
compliance with IFRS
The Consolidated Financial Statements of Premier Miton Group plc
(the 'Company') and its subsidiaries (the 'Group') for the year
ended 30 September 2022 were authorised for issue by the Board of
Directors on 1 December 2022 and the Consolidated Statement of
Financial Position was signed on the Board's behalf by Mike O'Shea
and Piers Harrison.
The Company is a public limited company incorporated and
domiciled in England and Wales. The Company's ordinary shares are
traded on the Alternative Investment Market ('AIM').
These Consolidated Financial Statements were prepared in
accordance with UK-adopted international accounting standards in
conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. The
Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in Sterling and all
values are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds (GBP000) except
when otherwise indicated.
The principal accounting policies adopted by the Group are set
out in note 2.
2. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The Consolidated Group Financial Statements for the year ended
30 September 2022 have been prepared in accordance with UK-adopted
International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS'). The
Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared on a going
concern basis, under the historical cost convention, as modified by
the revaluation of financial assets and financial liabilities
measured at fair value through profit or loss. Costs are expensed
as incurred.
The Directors have assessed the prospects of the Group
considering all the factors affecting the business when deciding to
adopt a going concern basis for the preparation of the accounts.
The Directors confirm that they have a reasonable expectation that
the Group will continue to operate and meet its liabilities, as
they fall due, comprising a period of at least 12 months from the
date of this report. This assessment has been made after
considering the impact of recent geopolitical events and Ukraine
crisis on the business. The Directors note that the Group has no
external borrowings and maintains significant levels of cash
reserves.
The Directors' assessment has been made with reference to the
Group's current position and strategy, the Board's appetite for
risk, the Group's financial forecasts, and the Group's principal
risks and how these risks are managed, as detailed in the Strategic
Report. The Directors have also reviewed and examined the financial
stress testing inherent in the Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment
Process ('ICAAP'). The forecast considers the Group's
profitability, cash flows, dividend payments and other key
variables. Sensitivity analysis is also performed on certain key
assumptions used in preparing the forecast, both individually and
combined, in addition to scenario analysis that is performed as
part of the ICAAP process, which is formally approved by the Board.
This analysis demonstrates that even after modelling materially
lower levels of assets under management ('AuM') associated with a
reasonably plausible downside scenario, the business remains cash
generative.
3. Revenue
Revenue recognised in the Consolidated Statement of
Comprehensive Income is analysed as follows:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
-------------------- ------- -------
Management fees 90,570 93,171
Commissions 4 1,075
Other (loss)/income (341) 480
Total revenue 90,233 94,726
-------------------- ------- -------
All revenue is derived from the UK and Channel Islands.
4. Exceptional items and merger related costs
Recognised in arriving at operating profit from continuing
operations:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
-------------------------- ------- -------
Connect development costs - 126
Total exceptional costs - 126
-------------------------- ------- -------
Merger related costs 51 822
Merger employment restructuring costs - 528
Total merger related costs 51 1,350
-------------------------------------- -----
Exceptional items are those items of income and expense, which
are considered not to be incurred in the normal course of business
of the Group's operations, and because of the nature of the events
giving rise to them, merit separate presentation to allow
shareholders to understand better the elements of financial
performance in the year.
In accordance with the accounting policy for exceptional items
these costs have been treated as exceptional.
Merger related costs in the year totalling GBP51,132 (2021:
GBP821,886) represented legal and professional fees associated with
the merger with Miton Group plc of GBP51,132 (2021: GBP51,132) and
merger integration costs of GBPnil (2021: GBP770,754).
During the year there were no employment restructuring costs
arising as a result of the merger (2021: GBP528,031 related to
redundancy costs).
5. Operating profit
(a) Operating profit is stated after charging
Notes 2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
---------------------------------- ----- ------- -------
Auditor's remuneration 5(b) 592 468
Staff costs 6 41,072 40,868
Interest - leases 60 94
Amortisation of intangible assets 10 4,861 5,117
Exceptional items 4 - 126
Merger related costs 4 51 1,350
Loss on disposal of fixed assets 171 28
Depreciation - fixed assets 580 688
Depreciation - leases 621 625
---------------------------------- ----- ------- -------
(b) Auditor's remuneration
The remuneration of the auditor is analysed as follows:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
----------------------------------- ------- -------
Audit of Company 114 90
Audit of subsidiaries 193 190
------------------------------------ ------- -------
Total audit 307 280
------------------------------------ ------- -------
- Audit-related assurance services 65 48
- Other non-audit services 220 140
------------------------------------ ------- -------
Total non-audit services 285 188
------------------------------------ ------- -------
Total fees 592 468
------------------------------------ ------- -------
6. Staff costs and Directors' remuneration
Staff costs during the year were as follows:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Salaries, bonus and performance fee share 31,141 30,769
Social security costs 4,436 4,696
Share-based payments 4,505 4,528
Other pension costs 990 875
------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Total staff costs 41,072 40,868
------------------------------------------- ------- -------
The average monthly number of employees of the Group during the
year was made up as follows:
2022 2021
number number
---------------------- ------- -------
Directors 8 7
Investment management 55 51
Sales and marketing 36 33
Finance and systems 11 11
Legal and compliance 12 12
Administration 42 39
----------------------- ------- -------
Total employees 164 153
----------------------- ------- -------
7. Finance expense
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
-------------------- ------- -------
Interest receivable (21) -
Interest payable 44 -
--------------------- ------- -------
Net finance expense 23 -
--------------------- ------- -------
8. Taxation
(a) Tax recognised in the Consolidated Statement of
Comprehensive Income
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Current income tax:
UK corporation tax 4,262 4,583
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Current income tax charge 4,262 4,583
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Adjustments in respect of prior periods (59) (909)
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Total current income tax 4,203 3,674
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Deferred tax:
Origination and reversal of temporary differences 1,128 (680)
Adjustments in respect of prior periods 15 502
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Total deferred tax expense/(income) 1,143 (178)
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Income tax charge reported in the Consolidated Statement
of Comprehensive Income 5,346 3,496
--------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
(b) Reconciliation of the total income tax charge
The tax expense in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income for the year is higher than the standard rate of corporation
tax in the UK of 19% (2021: 19%). The differences are reconciled
below:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Profit before taxation 14,913 17,525
------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Tax calculated at UK standard rate of corporation tax
of 19% (2021: 19%): 2,833 3,330
- Other differences 2,042 72
- Share-based payments 777 264
- Expenses not deductible for tax purposes 20 4
- Amortisation not deductible 125 250
- Income not subject to UK tax 5 (38)
- Change in tax rate - 531
- Tax relief on vested options (418) (525)
- Fixed asset differences 6 15
- Adjustments in respect of prior periods (44) (407)
------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Income tax charge in the Consolidated Statement of
Comprehensive Income 5,346 3,496
------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
(c) Change in corporation tax rate
In the Spring Budget 2021, the Government announced that from 1
April 2023 the corporation tax rate will increase to 25% from 19%.
This was substantively enacted on 24 May 2021. The deferred tax
balances included within the Consolidated Financial Statements have
been calculated with reference to the rate of 25% to the relevant
balances from 1 April 2023.
(d) Deferred tax
The deferred tax included in the Group's Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position is as follows:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
----------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Deferred tax asset:
----------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
- Fixed asset temporary differences 8 (38)
- Accrued bonuses 556 619
- Share-based payments 1,364 1,585
Deferred tax disclosed on the Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position 1,928 2,166
----------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
----------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Deferred tax liability:
----------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
- Arising on acquired intangible assets 3,543 4,216
- Arising on historic business combination 1,940 -
- Fixed asset temporary differences 2 21
Deferred tax disclosed on the Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position 5,485 4,237
----------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
At 30 September 2022 a deferred tax liability of GBP1,940,448
has been included in relation to a temporary difference on an
intangible asset held on the balance sheet acquired in a business
combination in 2007. Management has assessed this adjustment to be
not material (on both quantitative and qualitative bases) to
require restating comparatives, and as such the deferred tax
liability has been recognised in the Group's Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position via the current period tax charge.
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Deferred tax in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income:
------------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
- Origination and reversal of temporary differences (938) (680)
- Arising on historic business combination 2,066 -
- Adjustments in respect of prior periods 15 502
------------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Deferred tax expense/(income) 1,143 (178)
------------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
All movements in deferred tax balances relate to profit and loss
except for the GBP344,000 that is included in equity.
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Unprovided deferred tax asset:
------------------------------------------ ------- -------
- Non trade loan relationship losses 1,971 1,971
- Excess management expenses 51 51
- Non trade intangible fixed asset losses 399 399
------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Unprovided deferred tax asset 2,421 2,421
------------------------------------------ ------- -------
9. Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit
for the year attributable to ordinary equity shareholders of the
Parent Company by the weighted average number of ordinary shares
outstanding at the year end.
The weighted average of issued ordinary share capital of the
Company is reduced by the weighted average number of shares held by
the Group's EBTs. Dividend waivers are in place over shares held in
the Group's EBTs.
In calculating diluted earnings per share, IAS 33 'Earnings Per
Share' requires that the profit is divided by the weighted average
number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year plus the
weighted average number of ordinary shares that would be issued on
conversion of all the dilutive potential ordinary shares into
ordinary shares during the period.
(a) Reported earnings per share
Reported basic and diluted earnings per share has been
calculated as follows:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
---------------------------------------------------- -------- --------
Profit attributable to ordinary equity shareholders
of the Parent Company for basic earnings 9,567 14,029
---------------------------------------------------- -------- --------
Number Number
000 000
---------------------------------------------------- -------- --------
Issued ordinary shares at 1 October 157,913 157,913
- Effect of own shares held by an EBT (11,677) (10,641)
Weighted average shares in issue 146,236 147,272
---------------------------------------------------- -------- --------
- Effect of movement in share options 10,184 9,239
---------------------------------------------------- -------- --------
Weighted average shares in issue - diluted 156,420 156,511
---------------------------------------------------- -------- --------
Basic earnings per share (pence) 6.54 9.53
Diluted earnings per share (pence) 6.12 8.96
---------------------------------------------------- -------- --------
(b) Adjusted earnings per share
Adjusted earnings per share is based on adjusted profit after
tax, where adjusted profit is stated after charging interest but
before amortisation, share-based payments, merger related costs and
exceptional items.
Adjusted Profit for calculating adjusted earnings per share:
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
---------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Profit before taxation 14,913 17,525
Add back:
- Share-based payment expense 4,505 4,528
- Amortisation of intangible assets 4,861 5,117
- Merger related costs 51 1,350
- Exceptional items - 126
---------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Adjusted profit before tax 24,330 28,646
---------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Taxation:
---------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
- Tax in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income (5,346) (3,496)
---------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
- Tax effects of adjustments 1,176 (914)
---------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Adjusted profit after tax for the calculation of adjusted
earnings per share 20,160 24,236
---------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Adjusted earnings per share was as follows using the number of
shares calculated at note 9(a):
2022 2021
pence pence
------------------------------------ ------ ------
Adjusted earnings per share 13.79 16.46
Diluted adjusted earnings per share 12.89 15.49
------------------------------------ ------ ------
10. Goodwill and other intangible assets
Cost amortisation and net book value of intangible assets are as
follows:
Goodwill Other Total
Year to 30 September 2022 GBP000 GBP000 GBP000
---------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
Cost:
At 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022 77,927 81,025 158,952
Amortisation and impairment:
At 1 October 2021 7,239 53,648 60,887
Amortisation during the year - 4,861 4,861
---------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
At 30 September 2022 7,239 58,509 65,748
---------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
Carrying amount:
---------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
At 30 September 2022 70,688 22,516 93,204
---------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
At 30 September 2021 70,688 27,377 98,065
---------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
Goodwill Other Total
Year to 30 September 2021 GBP000 GBP000 GBP000
-------------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
Cost:
At 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021 77,927 81,025 158,952
Amortisation and impairment:
At 1 October 2020 6,979 48,791 55,770
Amortisation and impairment during the year 260 4,857 5,117
-------------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
At 30 September 2021 7,239 55,648 60,887
-------------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
Carrying amount:
-------------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
At 30 September 2021 70,688 27,377 98,065
-------------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
At 30 September 2020 70,948 32,234 103,182
-------------------------------------------- -------- ------- -------
Impairment tests for goodwill
The Group has determined that it has a single CGU in relation to
asset management for the purposes of assessing the carrying value
of goodwill. In line with IAS 36, 'Impairment of Assets', a full
impairment review was undertaken as at 30 September 2022. The
recoverable amount within the fund management CGU was determined by
assessing the value-in-use using long-term cash flow projections
for the CGU. The Group operates as a single CGU for the purposes of
monitoring and assessing goodwill for impairment. This reflects one
operating platform, into which acquired businesses are fully
integrated and from which acquisition-related synergies are
expected to be realised. Senior management receive and review
internal financial information as one single entity, with no
disaggregation for segments or geography.
Data for the explicit forecast period of 2023-2027 is based on
the 2023 budget and forecasts for 2024-2027. AuM levels were
determined by assuming net flows, per fund, over this five-year
period based on two key metrics - the first being the momentum of
net flows over the preceding two years, and the second being the
investment performance of the fund against its sector. The Group
believes these two factors are the most appropriate to consider
when making assumptions about the growth of AuM in the future, and
hence expected future cash flows. Net revenue margins per fund have
been assumed at current levels, unless sufficient reasons exist to
deviate, for example share class consolidation.
The projected operating margin is in line with levels
historically achieved by the Group. Increases in operating costs
have been taken into account and include assumed new business
volumes. The Group's commitment to responsible investing has also
been considered (within headcount over the forecast period) and the
impact to its cash flows on a longer term basis, particularly in
light of the possible actions of regulators, customers and
suppliers. Cash flows beyond the explicit forecast period are
extrapolated using a long-term terminal growth rate of 1.7% (2021:
1.9%). To arrive at the net present value, cash flows have been
discounted using a discount rate of 13% (2021: 12%) determined
using the capital asset pricing model (post-tax). The Group engaged
valuation specialists in determining the inputs to calculate the
appropriate discount rate, including current assessments of
comparative betas, long term economic growth rates and the equity
risk premiums published and observed in the wider industry.
The overall value-in-use was greater than the carrying value and
hence no impairment charge has been recognised. As noted above the
most material assumptions used in determining this conclusion were
expected aggregated fund flows and the discount rate. As an
additional consideration the Group compares its net assets to its
adjusted market capitalisation.
Sensitivity analysis
Management have performed a sensitivity analysis as at 30
September 2022 and established that an increase in the discount
rate to 28% would be required before an impairment of goodwill
would be considered necessary. This would require the long-term
risk-free rate and equity risk premium to be at significantly
higher levels than at present. Analysis was also completed using
materially lower levels of AuM and the corresponding impact on
projected cash flows within the impairment assessment. Due to the
cash generative nature of the business, and that a large proportion
of costs are linked to the net revenues and underlying
profitability of the Group, no impairment was identified at these
lower levels of AuM.
The compound annual growth rate for expected fund flows over the
forecast period is 10% and would need to reduce to -2% per annum
for the estimated recoverable amount to equal the carrying value.
Management note the average annual return for the MSCI World Index
over the past 40 years was approximately 11%. In light of this, we
do not consider the use of 28% discount rate and -2% CAGR
assumptions to be reasonable. The sensitivity analysis established
that a +/-3% change in the discount rate and long-term terminal
growth rate assumptions would not have a material impact on the
Group's results. The Group is, however, mindful of the current
uncertainty that exists in markets including the threat posed by
recent geopolitical events including the Ukraine crisis and that
extreme movements may be cause for further examination into the
possibilities of impairment.
Other intangible assets
The Group's other intangible assets comprise of investment
management agreements ('IMA') purchased by the Group. The carrying
amount above relates to two historic transactions, the largest
being the merger with Miton Group plc with a carrying value of
GBP14,596,097 and a remaining amortisation period of four years
(2021: merger with Miton Group plc with a carrying value of
GBP18,136,303 and a residual amortisation period of five years).
The remaining balance relates to a transaction completed in 2007 to
acquire IMAs which now have a carrying value of GBP7,920,267 and a
remaining amortisation period of six years (2021: value of
GBP9,240,917 and a remaining amortisation period of seven
years).
The determination of useful lives, and hence amortisation
period, used for other intangible assets requires an assessment of
the length of time the Group expects to derive benefits from the
asset. This depends on a number of factors, the most significant
being the duration of customer investment timeframes and the type
of underlying fund (for example the asset classes specified by the
fund's investment objectives will give insight into its usual
life).
An assessment is performed at each reporting period for each
intangible asset for indicators of impairment. There are two core
metrics used in this assessment - the first being the comparison of
AuM levels at the period end with those included in the original
intangible asset valuation and the second being the investment
performance of each individual fund against its comparable peers
and benchmarks. In addition, both internal and external factors
affecting the funds are considered such as current net margin,
potential regulatory changes and future demand for its asset class.
For each intangible asset mentioned above, if required, further
analysis is performed on a fund management team basis, and the
estimated aggregate cashflows generated by each team. These
estimated cashflows are modelled based on the current level of AuM
for the funds managed by each team and are compared against the
original basis used to value the intangible at the acquisition date
and their remaining amortisation period. No indicators of
impairment were noted when analysing at a fund management team
level.
11. Trade and other receivables
2022 2021
Current GBP000 GBP000
---------------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Due from trustees/investors for open end fund redemptions/sales 122,339 132,587
Other trade debtors 526 530
Fees receivable 6,132 8,185
Prepayments 2,662 2,195
Corporation tax 1,794 644
Other receivables 2,599 1,943
---------------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Total trade and other receivables 136,052 146,084
---------------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Non-current
---------------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Other receivables 1,081 971
---------------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Trade and other receivables are all current and any fair value
difference is not material. Trade and other receivables are
considered past due once they have passed their contracted due
date.
Non-current other receivables represent deferred compensation
awards with maturities greater than 12 months after Consolidated
Statement of Financial Position date. Deferred compensation awards
are released in accordance with the employment period to which they
relate.
12. Cash and cash equivalents
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
-------------------------------- ------- -------
Cash at bank and in hand 45,682 47,552
Cash held in EBTs 82 123
-------------------------------- ------- -------
Total cash and cash equivalents 45,764 47,675
-------------------------------- ------- -------
13. Trade and other payables
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Due to trustees/investors for open end fund creations/redemptions 122,334 132,403
Other trade payables 1,542 2,295
Other tax and social security payable 3,031 3,345
Accruals 20,021 22,789
Pension contributions 9 25
Other payables 1,883 2,351
Total trade and other payables 148,820 163,208
------------------------------------------------------------------ ------- -------
Trade creditors and accruals principally comprise amounts
outstanding for trade purchases and ongoing costs. The Group has
financial risk management policies in place to ensure that all
payables are paid within the pre-agreed credit terms.
Other payables relate predominantly to amounts due to outsource
providers for administrative services provided to the Group's
funds.
The Directors consider that the carrying amount of trade
payables approximates to their fair value.
14. Provisions
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
--------------------- ------- -------
At 1 October 389 389
Movement in the year (15) -
--------------------- ------- -------
At 30 September 374 389
Current - 15
Non-current 374 374
--------------------- ------- -------
374 389
--------------------- ------- -------
Provisions relate to dilapidations for the offices at 6th Floor,
Paternoster House, London, the lease on this property runs to 28
November 2023 and the provision for dilapidations on this office
has been disclosed as non-current. This provision is based on
prices quoted at the time of the lease being taken on.
15. Share capital
Ordinary
shares Deferred
2022 allotted, called up and fully paid: 0.02 pence shares
Number of shares each Number Number
----------------------------------------- ------------ --------
At 1 October 2021 157,913,035 1
Movement in the year - -
----------------------------------------- ------------ --------
At 30 September 2022 157,913,035 1
----------------------------------------- ------------ --------
Ordinary
shares Deferred
2021 allotted, called up and fully paid: 0.02 pence shares
Number of shares each Number Number
----------------------------------------- ------------ --------
At 1 October 2020 157,913,035 1
Movement in the year - -
----------------------------------------- ------------ --------
At 30 September 2021 157,913,035 1
----------------------------------------- ------------ --------
Ordinary shares Deferred Total
2022 allotted, called up and fully paid: 0.02 pence each shares shares
Value of shares GBP000 GBP000 GBP000
----------------------------------------- ---------------- -------- -------
At 1 October 2021 31 29 60
Movement in the year - - -
----------------------------------------- ---------------- -------- -------
At 30 September 2022 31 29 60
----------------------------------------- ---------------- -------- -------
Ordinary shares Deferred Total
2021 allotted, called up and fully paid: 0.02 pence each shares shares
Value of shares GBP000 GBP000 GBP000
----------------------------------------- ---------------- -------- -------
At 1 October 2020 31 29 60
Movement in the year - - -
----------------------------------------- ---------------- -------- -------
At 30 September 2021 31 29 60
----------------------------------------- ---------------- -------- -------
The deferred share carries no voting rights and no right to
receive a dividend.
16. Share-based payments
The total charge to the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive
Income for share-based payments in respect of employee services
received during the year to 30 September 2022 was GBP4,505,000
(2021: GBP4,528,000), of which GBP4,314,000 related to nil cost
contingent share rights.
17. Dividends declared and paid
2022 2021
GBP000 GBP000
---------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Equity dividends on ordinary shares:
- Interim dividend: 3.7 (2021: interim 3.7) pence
per share 5,427 5,437
- Final dividend for 2021: 6.3 (2020 final interim
4.5) pence per share 9,269 6,660
---------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
Dividends paid 14,696 12,097
---------------------------------------------------- ------- -------
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END
FR FZMGZGMRGZZZ
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December 02, 2022 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)
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