Trading Statement.


    24 April 2025 07:01:50
  • Source: Sharecast
RNS Number : 9473F
AJ Bell PLC
24 April 2025
 

24 April 2025

AJ Bell plc

Q2 trading update

 

AJ Bell plc ("AJ Bell" or the "Company"), one of the UK's largest investment platforms, today issues a trading update in respect of the three months ended 31 March 2025.

 

Performance overview

Platform business

·     

Strong growth in customer numbers increasing by 32,000 in the quarter to close at 593,000, up 18% in the last year and 6% in the quarter


Total advised customers of 177,000, up 7% in the last year and 2% in the quarter

Total D2C customers of 416,000, up 23% in the last year and 7% in the quarter

·     

Record assets under administration ("AUA") of £90.4 billion, up 13% over the last year and 1% in the quarter

·     

Gross and net inflows on the platform in the run up to the tax-year end were significantly higher than in the comparative quarter last year


Gross inflows in the quarter of £4.0 billion, up 18% versus prior year (2024: £3.4 billion)

Net inflows in the quarter of £1.9 billion, up 19% versus prior year (2024: £1.6 billion)

AJ Bell Investments

·     

Assets under management ("AUM") increased to £7.5 billion, up 29% over the last year and 4% in the quarter

·     

Net inflows in the quarter of £0.4 billion (2024: £0.4 billion)

Michael Summersgill, Chief Executive Officer at AJ Bell, commented:

"We continued the strong start to our financial year as our platform attracted over 30,000 new customers in the quarter and achieved net inflows of £1.9 billion to surpass £90 billion of AUA for the first time. AJ Bell Investments sustained its excellent growth with quarterly net inflows of £0.4 billion resulting in closing AUM of £7.5 billion, up 29% in the last year.

"These results highlight the strength of our dual-channel platform, as our market-leading customer service and low-cost, easy-to-use platform propositions continue to be highly valued by customers and advisers. Our D2C platform enjoyed its strongest quarter ever, delivering record-breaking customer growth and net inflows, reflecting the benefits of our continued investment in brand and propositions.

"The UK Government's commitment in the Spring Statement to boost the culture of retail investing through both ISA reform and the ongoing work on Targeted Support was an encouraging step. We believe a powerful combination of straightforward reforms, centred on implementing Targeted Support and simplifying cash and stocks and shares ISAs into a single product, would significantly reduce the barriers between saving and long-term investing.

"We have started the second half of our financial year in a strong position. Since the quarter end, global trade tariffs and broader macroeconomic uncertainty have created significant market volatility. This has led to increased D2C trading activity as customers use the flexibility of our platform to respond to changing market dynamics. The long-term investment outlook among customers is illustrated by the fact more than three-quarters of these trades were buys with the net investment totalling more than £300 million. 

"Whilst recent volatility has impacted market levels, we have a proven track record of growing across different market conditions. There remains a significant structural growth opportunity in the UK platform market and our well-diversified revenue model enables us to continue to invest in our propositions and brand to drive long-term growth."

 

Notice of interim results

AJ Bell expects to announce its interim results for the six months ended 31 March 2025 on Friday 23 May 2025.

  


Three months ended

31 March 2025

Advised Platform

D2C Platform

Total Platform

Non-platform

 

Total




 


 

Opening customers (k)

174

387

561

15

576

Closing customers (k)

177

416

593

15

608




 


 

AUA and AUM (£billion)



 


 

Opening AUA

57.2

32.3

89.5

5.8

95.3




 


 

Inflows(1)

1.8

2.2

4.0

-

4.0

Outflows(2)

(1.3)

(0.8)

(2.1)

(0.1)

(2.2)

Net inflows/(outflows)

0.5

1.4

1.9

(0.1)

1.8




 


 

Market and other movements(3)

(0.6)

(0.4)

(1.0)

0.1

(0.9)

Closing AUA

57.1

33.3

90.4

5.8

96.2




 


 

Closing AUM

3.8

2.0

5.8(4)

1.7(5)

7.5




 


 




 


 

Three months ended

31 March 2024

Advised Platform

D2C Platform

Total Platform

Non-platform

 

Total

 



 


 

Opening customers (k)

161

323

484

15

499

Closing customers (k)

165

338

503

15

518




 


 

AUA and AUM (£billion)



 


 

Opening AUA

51.0

25.2

76.2

5.4

81.6




 


 

Inflows(1)

1.7

1.7

3.4

0.1

3.5

Outflows(2)

(1.1)

(0.7)

(1.8)

        (0.1)

(1.9)

Net inflows

0.6

1.0

1.6

            -

1.6




 


 

Market and other movements(3)

         1.8

         0.7

         2.5

         0.1

          2.6

Closing AUA

53.4

26.9

80.3

5.5

85.8




 


 

Closing AUM

3.2

1.5

4.7(4)

1.1(5)

5.8

 

(1) Transfers-in, subscriptions, contributions and tax relief

(2) Transfers-out, cash withdrawals, benefits and tax payments

(3) Total investment returns and revaluations, net of charges and taxes

(4) Platform AUA which is held in AJ Bell's Funds or Managed Portfolio Service

(5) Assets which are held in AJ Bell's Funds or Managed Portfolio Service via third-party platforms

 

 

Contacts:

 

AJ Bell                                    

 

·     

Mark Coxhead, Head of Investor Relations

+44 (0) 7761 513 512

·     

Mike Glenister, Head of PR

+44 (0) 7719 554 575

 

 



Historical customer numbers, AUA and AUM by quarter

Advised Platform

 

 

Qtr to 31

March

2024

Qtr to 30

June

2024

Qtr to 30

September

2024

Qtr to 31

December

2024

Qtr to 31

March

2025







Customers (k)

165

168

171

174

177

 






AUA and AUM (£billion)






Opening AUA

51.0

53.4

54.9

56.1

57.2







Inflows(1)

1.7

1.7

1.6

1.7

1.8

Outflows(2)

(1.1)

(1.2)

(1.1)

(1.4)

(1.3)

Net inflows

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.3

0.5







Market and other movements(3)

 

1.8

 

1.0

 

0.7

 

0.8

 

(0.6)

Closing AUA

53.4

54.9

56.1

57.2

57.1







Closing AUM(4)

3.2

3.4

3.5

3.7

3.8

 

D2C Platform

 

 

Qtr to 31

March

2024

Qtr to 30

June

2024

Qtr to 30

September

2024

Qtr to 31

December

2024

Qtr to 31

March

2025







Customers (k)

338

360

371

387

416

 






AUA and AUM (£billion)






Opening AUA

25.2

26.9

28.8

30.4

32.3







Inflows(1)

1.7

2.0

1.7

1.9

2.2

Outflows(2)

(0.7)

(0.8)

(0.7)

(0.8)

(0.8)

Net inflows

1.0

1.2

1.0

1.1

1.4







Market and other movements(3)

 

0.7

 

0.7

 

0.6

 

0.8

 

(0.4)

Closing AUA

26.9

28.8

30.4

32.3

33.3







Closing AUM(4)

1.5

1.7

1.9

1.9

2.0







Non-platform

 

Qtr to 31

March

2024

Qtr to 30

June

2024

Qtr to 30

September

2024

Qtr to 31

December

2024

Qtr to 31

March

2025







Customers (k)

15

15

15

15

15

 






AUA and AUM (£billion)






Opening AUA

5.4

5.5

5.6

5.7

5.8







Inflows(1)

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

-

Outflows(2)

(0.1)

(0.1)

(0.1)

(0.1)

(0.1)

Net inflows/(outflows)

-

-

-

-

(0.1)







Market and other movements(3)

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

Closing AUA

5.5

5.6

5.7

5.8

5.8







Closing AUM(5)

1.1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.7







Total closing AUA

85.8

89.3

92.2

95.3

96.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total closing AUM

5.8

6.3

6.8

7.2

7.5







(1) Transfers-in, subscriptions, contributions and tax relief

(2) Transfers-out, cash withdrawals, benefits and tax payments

(3) Total investment returns and revaluations, net of charges and taxes

(4) Platform AUA which is held in AJ Bell's Funds or Managed Portfolio Service

(5) Assets which are held in AJ Bell's Funds or Managed Portfolio Service via third-party platforms

 

 

About AJ Bell:

Established in 1995, AJ Bell is one of the largest investment platforms in the UK, operating at scale in both the advised and direct-to-consumer markets.

Our purpose is to help people invest by providing them with easy access to Pensions, ISAs and General investment accounts, great customer service and competitive charges.

Our two core platform propositions are AJ Bell in the D2C market and AJ Bell Investcentre in the advised market, which both provide access to a broad investment range including shares and other instruments traded on the major stock exchanges around the world, as well as all mainstream collective investments available in the UK and our own range of AJ Bell funds.

In the D2C market we also offer AJ Bell Dodl, a low-cost investment app with a simplified investment range that makes it easier for customers to choose investments and buy and sell them without paying any commission.

For D2C cash savers we offer a Cash savings hub which provides access to a range of competitive savings accounts to help people manage their long-term cash deposits.

AJ Bell is headquartered in Manchester, UK, with offices in London and Bristol.

 

Forward-looking statements

 

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, and actual results and developments may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. These forward-looking statements are statements regarding AJ Bell's intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, its results of operations, financial condition, prospects, growth, strategies, and the industry in which it operates. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement and AJ Bell does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy.
 
END
 
 
TSTPPUUGCUPAPGW

Compare our accounts

If you're looking to grow your money over the longer term (5+ years), we have a range of investment choices to help.

Halifax is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the Markets News articles. We may not share the views of the author. Understand the risks, please remember the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. We don't provide advice so if you are in any doubt about buying and selling shares or making your own investment decisions we recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified Financial Advisor. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.