Trading Statement

RNS Number : 9055K

Liontrust Asset Management PLC

22 April 2015

 



Embargoed until 7am on 22 April 2015

Stock Exchange Announcement

LIONTRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC

Trading Update

Liontrust Asset Management Plc ("Liontrust" or the "Group"), the specialist independent fund management group, is today issuing its year end trading update for the period from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

Highlights

·     Assets under Management ("AuM") increased by £881 million or 24% over the financial year to £4.5 billion. AuM as at close of business on 20 April 2015 was £4.6 billion.

·     Net inflows of £667 million in the financial year (2014: 381 million).

·     Economic Advantage team awarded its first Institutional mandate (£95 million).

·     New global equities team to join Liontrust in May 2015.

Commenting, John Ions, Chief Executive, said:

"We have enjoyed another successful year, generating net inflows of £667 million and increasing our AuM by 24% to £4.5 billion. Our UK Retail AuM now exceeds £3 billion and our Institutional AuM is more than £1.1 billion. 

"We have made a number of moves over the last few months to ensure we can continue to maintain this growth, including the further diversification of our fund management capability and client base.

"We are delighted to have recruited a new team in Kristof Bulkai, Patrick Cadell and Hugo Rogers, who have a strong track record and for whom we will launch the Dublin-based Global Strategic Equity fund at the end of May. We are seeing significant demand for alternative investments from clients, particularly internationally, which is partly being driven by the current valuations of equity and bond markets.

"We have strengthened our award-winning Economic Advantage team with the key recruitment of Victoria Bates. She will primarily work with Anthony Cross on researching, analysing and selecting small caps for the team's funds. 

"We have also started to broaden our distribution capability internationally and have already begun attracting inflows from continental Europe.   

"Our sales in the UK retail market in the first quarter of 2015 were impacted in part by the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the General Election. We are confident about the outlook, however, given the strength of our long-term fund performance and the quality of our fund management teams. Seven of our eight actively managed unit trust funds are in the first quartile of their respective sectors since launch or the current managers took over the running of the funds.

"We continue to receive independent recognition through winning a number of awards in recent months, including Stephen Bailey and Jan Luthman being two of only 30 managers being named in Financial Express' Hall of Fame."

Assets under Management

On 31 March 2015, our AuM stood at £4,494 million (2014: £3,613 million) an increase of 24% over the financial year.  A reconciliation of AuM as at 31 March 2015 is as follows:

Process	Total	Institutional	UK Retail	DPMS*	Offshore Funds
	(£m)	(£m)	(£m)	(£m)	(£m)
Cashflow Solution	859	564	284	-	11
Economic Advantage	2,226	95	2,100	-	31
Macro Thematic	1,037	403	621	-	13
Global Credit	30	-	-	-	30
Asia	31	-	31	-	-
Multi-Asset	255	99	-	156	-
Indexed	56	-	56	-	-
Total	4,494	1,161	3,092	156	85

* Discretionary Portfolio Management Services

AuM as at close of business on 20 April 2015 was £4,610 million.

Funds Flows

Liontrust recorded net inflows of £667 million in the financial year (2014: £381 million). A reconciliation of fund flows over the financial year is as follows:-

	Total	Institutional	UK Retail	DPMS*	Offshore Funds
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Opening AuM - 1 April 2014	3,613	657	2,752	114	90
Net flows	667	402	236	32	(3)
Market and Investment performance	214	102	104	10	(2)
Closing AuM - 31 March 2015	4,494	1,161	3,092	156	85

Liontrust recorded net outflows for the quarter to 31 March 2015 of £41 million (2014: net inflows of £16 million). Net outflows in the quarter include lower fee margin redemptions of £95 million from a two institutions type clients (one from Institutional AuM and one from UK Retail AuM). A reconciliation of fund flows over the quarter to 31 March 2015 is as follows:-

	Total	Institutional	UK Retail	DPMS*	Offshore Funds
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Opening AuM - 1 January 2015	4,305	1,075	3,013	132	85
Net flows	(41)	25	(83)	15	2
Market and Investment performance	230	61	162	9	(2)
Closing AuM - 31 March 2015	4,494	1,161	3,092	156	85

* Discretionary Portfolio Management Services

Fund Performance (Quartile ranking)

Our funds continue to deliver strong long-term performance. Seven out of eight of our UK unit trusts are in the first quartile of their respective sectors since launch or since the current managers took over the running of the funds.   

	Quartile ranking - 1 year	Quartile ranking - 3 year	Quartile ranking - 5 year	Quartile ranking - Since Manager tenure	Launch / Manager appointed
Liontrust Macro Equity Income Fund	2	3	2	1	31/10/2003
Liontrust Macro UK Growth Fund	1	2	2	1	01/08/2002
Liontrust UK Growth Fund	1	3	1	1	25/03/2009
Liontrust Special Situations Fund	2	2	1	1	10/11/2005
Liontrust UK Smaller Companies Fund	3	2	2	1	08/01/1998
Liontrust European Growth Fund	4	4	2	1	15/11/2006
Liontrust Asia Income Fund	3	2	-	1	05/03/2012
Liontrust Global Income Fund	4	-	-	3	03/07/2013

Source: Financial Express, total return, bid to bid, to 31 March 2015 unless otherwise stated.  The above funds are all UK authorised unit trusts (retail share class). Liontrust FTSE 100 Tracker Fund (index fund) not included. Liontrust Global Income Fund's investment objective changed to Global Income on 3 July 2013. Past performance is not a guide to the future; the value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise. Investors may not get back the amount originally subscribed.

Addition to the Economic Advantage team

Victoria Bates will join the Economic Advantage team as a fund manager in June. She is Deputy Head of Corporate Broking at finnCap Ltd, having joined the company in December 2010. At finnCap, Victoria Bates has gained extensive experience of analysing companies and stock market activity along with primary and secondary fundraising and trading.

New global equities team

Kristof Bulkai, Hugo Rogers and Patrick Cadell are to join Liontrust. Following their appointment, Liontrust is to launch the Dublin-based Global Strategic Equity fund at the end of May 2015, subject to appropriate regulatory approvals. The team has a long and successful track record of managing global equity long/short funds.

Awards

We are proud to announce the following awards for Liontrust in the financial year ended 31 March 2015:

·     The Liontrust UK Smaller Companies Fund was named the UK Smaller Companies Fund of the Year by Investment Adviser magazine in October 2014.

·     The Liontrust UK Smaller Companies Fund was named as the Fund with the Best Risk Adjusted Return (Equity) by Rayner Spencer Mills in November 2014.

·     Liontrust was named runner up in the award for the Progressive Group of the Year by Rayner Spencer Mills in November 2014.

·     The Liontrust UK Smaller Companies Fund was named as the Best UK Small Cap Equity Fund by Morningstar in February 2015.

·     Jan Luthman and Stephen Bailey are two of only 30 managers to be named in Financial Express's Hall of Fame in March 2015.

·     Anthony Cross and Julian Fosh were named Best UK Equity Managers by Financial Express in March 2015.

·     Liontrust was named by the London Stock Exchange Group as one of the 1,000 companies to inspire Britain in 2015. These are the "UK's most exciting and dynamic small and medium-sized businesses".

For further information please contact:

Liontrust Asset Management Plc                              020 7412 1700

John Ions                                                                        www.liontrust.co.uk

Vinay Abrol

Simon Hildrey - Head of Marketing & Distribution Strategy

Numis Securities Limited                                             020 7260 1000

Charles Farquhar, Andrew Holloway

Background on new fund managers

Victoria Bates

Victoria is currently a Director, Corporate Broking at finnCap Limited, having joined them in December 2010, specialising in working with UK smaller companies. Victoria graduated from the University of Oxford (St. Anne's College) in 2007 with a degree in Modern Languages. Victoria is also a CFA Charterholder.

Kristof Bulkai

Kristof is currently a Portfolio Manager (and team head) at BMO Global Asset Management (previously F&C Asset Management and Thames River Capital LLP), having joined them in September 2008, managing various global strategies. Prior to joining Thames River Capital LLP, Kristof was  Portfolio Manager at Griffin Capital Management and before that an Analyst at Goldman Sachs. Kristof graduated from the University of Durham in 2000 with a degree in Philosophy and Politics and from the London School of Economics in 2001 with an Msc in Transition Economics. He is also a CFA Charterholder.

Hugo Rogers

Hugo is currently a Fund Manager at BMO Global Asset Management (previously F&C Asset Management and Thames River Capital LLP), having joined them in 2008, managing various long/short and long only Global Equity portfolios. Prior to joining Thames River Capital LLP, Hugo was an Analyst at Copenhagen Capital and before that an Analyst at Odey Asset Management. Hugo graduated from the University of Oxford (St. Catherine's College) in 1999 with a degree in Biological Sciences. Hugo is also a CFA Charterholder.

Patrick Cadell

Patrick is currently a Fund Manager at BMO Global Asset Management (previously F&C Asset Management and Thames River Capital LLP), having joined them in 2013, managing the F&C Directional Opportunities Fund. Prior to joining Thames River Capital LLP, Patrick was an Investment Analyst at Nevsky Capital and before that a Corporate Finance Analyst at JP Morgan Cazenove. Patrick graduated from the University College London with a degree in Economics.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and businesses and plans of the Group. These statements and forecasts involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend upon circumstances that have not yet occurred. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forecasts. As a result, the Group's actual future financial condition, results of operations and business and plans may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.  Liontrust undertakes no obligation publicly to update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable law and regulation (including the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority).  Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast or be relied upon as a guide to future performance.

Other information

The release, publication, transmission or distribution of this announcement in, into or from jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published, transmitted or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. Any failure to comply with the restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

ENDS

 

END

 

 

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