Finance
UK's St. James's Place boosts payout ratio after profit beat
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 25, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 25, 2026
Tags:Wealth Management
Quick Summary
British wealth manager St James's Place reported higher annual profit, with EPS up to 86p from 81.5p. Resilient equity markets and stronger client activity lifted performance for the year ended Dec 31.
Feb 25 (Reuters) - St. James's Place increased its shareholder payout ratio to 70% of underlying cash profit on Wednesday, a year ahead of schedule, as Britain's largest wealth adviser reported annual earnings ahead of analysts' expectation.
Engagement tied to the group's revised charging structure has accelerated business momentum in recent quarters. The change is expected to bring in more fee-paying assets, giving the wealth manager a steadier flow of income and helping it lift its revenue.
The firm's underlying cash result rose more than 3% to 462.3 million pounds ($624.84 million), above analysts' estimate of 445.5 million pounds, according to a company-compiled consensus.
UK wealth managers have benefited from clients seeking trusted financial advice during a tumultuous period marked by mixed responses to the UK autumn budget, market volatility and political shifts.
St. James's Place's net inflows improved 42% year-on-year to 6.16 billion pounds in 2025, while funds under management reached 220.01 billion pounds, up 16%.
($1 = 0.7399 pounds)
(Reporting by Sri Hari N S in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
Key Takeaways
- •Annual earnings rose to 86 pence per share from 81.5 pence a year earlier.
- •Resilient equity markets improved investor confidence.
- •Stronger client activity contributed to the profit increase.
- •Results cover the year ended December 31.
- •Update reported by Reuters on February 25, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions about UK's St. James's Place boosts payout ratio after profit beat
1What is the main topic?
St James's Place reported higher annual profit, with earnings per share rising to 86p from 81.5p, driven by resilient markets and increased client activity.
2What drove the profit increase?
Resilient equity markets boosted investor confidence, which in turn led to increased client activity, supporting stronger full-year earnings.
3What period do the results cover?
The figures refer to the company’s performance for the year ended December 31, reported by Reuters on February 25, 2026.
