W.H. Ireland Group PLC Year End Trading Update (3328X)

TIDMWHI

RNS Number : 3328X

W.H. Ireland Group PLC

04 May 2021

WH Ireland Group Plc

("WH Ireland" or the "Company" and with its subsidiaries the "Group")

Year End Trading Update

Return to full year profitability and confident outlook

WH Ireland is pleased to provide a trading update in advance of its final results for the year ended 31 March 2021 which are scheduled to be announced in the week commencing 28 June 2021. These numbers do not include partial year contributions from WH Ireland (IOM) Limited, which was disposed of during the year.

Highlights

   --      Strong second half and full year performance 

-- Group revenue for the year-ended 31 March 2021 is expected to show an increase of 29% over the prior year to approximately GBP27.9m (31 March 2020: GBP21.6m)

-- The Board anticipates reporting Group profit before tax of c.GBP1m with a strong performance from the Capital Markets Division.

   --      Successful acquisition of Harpsden completed in December 2020 

-- Cash balance of GBP8.21m as at 31 March 2021 (30 September 2020: GBP5.85m and 31 March 2020 GBP2.58m)

   --      Significant new hires made in H2 

Wealth Management (WM)

-- Continued improvement in the quality of the business over the year with fee income now representing 74% of total wealth management income

-- Discretionary managed assets ("DFM") increased 69% to GBP1.06bn, following the acquisition of Harpsden (31 March 2020: GBP627m)

-- DFM underlying growth of 24% (excluding disposal of IoM GBP251m and acquisition of Harpsden GBP289m), well ahead of underlying market performance

   --    Total AUM increased 18% to GBP2.18bn (31 March 2020: GBP1.84bn) 

-- Integration of Harpsden progressing well with re-platforming synergies scheduled for Q3 (calendar)

Capital Markets Division (CMD)

-- Corporate and Institutional Broking (CIB) now part of newly formed Capital Markets Division (CMD)

-- Revenue for the year increased by over 80% to approximately GBP14.5million ( 2020: GBP7.9million)

   --      82 quoted Corporate clients (31 March 2020: 74) 
   --      66 transactions completed in the year (Year to 31 March 2020: 34 transactions) 

-- GBP232m funds raised for our quoted and unquoted corporate clients (Year to 31 March 2020: GBP67m)

   --      2 successful IPOs completed during the year - Various Eateries and Amte Power 
   --      Fraser Marshall, the first head of CMD, joined in November 2020 

-- Recruitment in Ultra High Net Worth and Family Office coverage, Healthcare and Cleantech & Renewable Energy completed, with further selective recruitment planned

   --      Ultra High Net Worth and Family Office AUM of GBP197m 

Note: all numbers unaudited.

Phillip Wale, CEO of WH Ireland, commented:

"WH Ireland has had a very significant year of progress, returning its first full year profit for more than five years, delivering a substantial number of capital markets transactions, including two IPOs, and completing our first wealth management acquisition. The strategy set two years ago for turning around the Group has taken shape and has moved into the next phase; growth.

"The Group's financial position has become more robust, enabling investment in further organic and inorganic growth, particularly in building upon the existing platform now in place in Wealth Management. We continue to look for potential acquisition opportunities and new hires in both divisions as we benefit from the successful integration of Harpsden and the recruitment programme already completed.

"Working conditions over the last year have been extremely challenging and all our employees should be proud of the progress we have made and I wish to thank every client, customer and business partner for their dedication and support."

For further information please contact:

 
 WH Ireland Group plc             www.whirelandplc.com 
 Phillip Wale, Chief Executive 
  Officer                         [phone] 
 
 Canaccord Genuity Limited        www.canaccordgenuity.com 
 Emma Gabriel / Tom Diehl         [phone] 
 
 MHP Communications               [e-mail] 
 Reg Hoare / James Bavister       [phone] 
 

Notes to Editors:

About WH Ireland Group plc

Wealth Management Division

WH Ireland provides independent financial planning advice and discretionary investment management. Our goal is to build long term, mutually beneficial, working relationships with our clients so that they can make informed & effective choices about their money and how it can support their lifestyle ambitions. We can trace our history of helping individuals and their families as well as entrepreneurs, charities and trustees back to 1872. By building a financial plan & investment strategy with us, our clients are free to focus on the important things, like life.

Capital Markets Division

Our Capital Markets Division is specifically focused on the public and private growth company marketplace. The team's significant experience in this exciting segment means that we are able to provide a specialist service to each of its respective participants. For companies, we raise public and private growth capital, as well as providing both day-to-day and strategic corporate advice. Our tailored approach means that our teams engage with all of the key investor groups active in our market - High Net Worth Individuals, Family Offices, Wealth Managers and Funds. Our broking, trading and research teams provide the link between growth companies and this broad investor base. In our latest financial year, we successfully completed the IPOs of Various Eateries and Amte Power, we raised capital for quoted companies such as AFC Energy, Bacanora Lithium and Jubilee Metals and unquoted companies such as Elmtronics and Genie Drinks; whilst welcoming 21 new quoted companies to our corporate client roster.

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May 04, 2021 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)