Advertisement
UK markets close in 43 minutes
  • FTSE 100

    8,068.03
    +27.65 (+0.34%)
     
  • FTSE 250

    19,604.32
    -115.05 (-0.58%)
     
  • AIM

    752.91
    -1.78 (-0.24%)
     
  • GBP/EUR

    1.1665
    +0.0020 (+0.17%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2502
    +0.0039 (+0.32%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    50,804.32
    -1,104.58 (-2.13%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,377.67
    -4.91 (-0.35%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,003.62
    -68.01 (-1.34%)
     
  • DOW

    37,778.39
    -682.53 (-1.77%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    82.29
    -0.52 (-0.63%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,353.00
    +14.60 (+0.62%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    37,628.48
    -831.60 (-2.16%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    17,284.54
    +83.27 (+0.48%)
     
  • DAX

    17,890.23
    -198.47 (-1.10%)
     
  • CAC 40

    8,005.64
    -86.22 (-1.07%)
     

Forex boost sends Schroders assets to record despite rising outflows

* Assets under management up 11 pct to 343 bln stg

* Gets large FX gain but inflows down sharply year on year

* H1 pretax before one-offs 293.7 million stg vs f'cast 286.5 mln

* Interim dividend held at 29 pence a share

* Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) down 0.5 pct (Adds detail from statement, call with CEO, share reaction, analyst quote)

By Simon Jessop

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Schroders (LSE: SDR.L - news) , Britain's largest listed money manager, posted an 11 percent rise in first-half assets as currency gains caused by Britain's vote to leave the European Union helped offset larger than expected second-quarter fund outflows.

ADVERTISEMENT

Asset managers across the globe have been roiled by market volatility in the first half, as a result of concerns around global growth, particularly in China, rising political risks, including Britain's EU vote, and concern about the impact of central bank monetary policies.

As a result, 2 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) was pulled from Schroders funds in the three months through June, lagging a consensus expectation for 1.5 billion pounds in outflows.

Flows also slowed in the first half into the firm's various products, including wealth management, to 700 million pounds versus 8.8 billion a year ago.

Despite that, total assets hit a forecast-beating record of 343.8 billion pounds, boosted by 28.5 billion pounds as a result of sterling weakness, mirroring the currency gains seen by rivals including Henderson Group (LSE: HGG.L - news) , which also reported on Thursday.

"There was heightened market volatility throughout the period, particularly towards the end of June, following the result of the referendum," said Chief Executive Peter Harrison.

"We expect the current market environment to persist and this may have an impact on investor demand."

Shares in Schroders were down 0.5 percent by 0755 GMT in a flat FTSE 100.

The rise in assets helped underpin a forecast-beating pretax profit before exceptional items of 293.7 million pounds, compared with a company supplied consensus forecast for 286.5 million. The group said it would pay an interim dividend of 29 pence a share, in line with the year earlier.

Analysts remained broadly positive on the stock, with Exane analysts saying they expected to see "low single digit" upgrades to consensus expectations. ($1 = 0.7586 pounds) (Editing by Rachel Armstrong and David Holmes)