Man Group shares surge to 16-year high after strong results
Man Group's Financial Performance and Market Impact
By Nell Mackenzie
Record Asset Growth and Share Price Surge
LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager Man Group shares jumped 5.1% to their highest since 2010 in early London trade after the company posted a better than expected 11% half-yearly rise in assets under management (AUMs).
Firmwide AUMs reached a record $253.6 billion as of June 30, beating analyst expectations, amid market volatility fanned by the on-off conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran -- increasing the appeal of hedge funds engineered to make money in more unpredictable environments.
Profit Increase and Fee Income
The London-listed company, which makes money from management fees, posted a six-month core net management fee profit of $186 million before taxes and after costs, up around 40% from $130 million in June 2025.
Strong Inflows and Investor Interest
New client money soared in the first half of the year, with inflows of $7.1 billion -- beating Jefferies analyst expectations of $1.3 billion of net inflows.
Focus on "Long Only" Funds
Investor interest in Man Group's "long only" funds which solely bet on rising assets amid volatile equity and credit markets came down to picking quality investments that would perform well despite broader market behaviour, Antoine Forterre, chief financial officer and chief operating officer told Reuters.
"In an environment where people might be worried about volatility they still need to be invested because that is their mandate so they look for partners who can provide high-quality returns," Forterre said.
The hedge fund's long-only strategies, including its long-only credit funds, saw the bulk of this new client money.
Strategic Changes and Industry Context
Business Diversification and CEO Statement
The strong first half was the fruits of change at Man Group, CEO Robyn Grew said in a statement, adding that the inflows and record AUMs were the "direct result of deliberate, multi-year investments in the diversification of our business."
Hedge Fund Industry Performance
Global hedge funds have delivered their strongest first-half performance since 2013, data from hedge fund data firm PivotalPath showed, as healthcare, tech and energy trades lifted returns in volatile markets.
April Performance Milestone
In particular, in April -- when hedge funds returned 3.7% in one month -- proved to be the strongest April on record, according to PivotalPath.
(Reporting by Nell Mackenzie; Editing by Dhara Ranasinghe and David Holmes)
