Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 25, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
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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.
By Sri Hari N S
Feb 25 (Reuters) - St. James's Place raised its shareholder payout ratio to 70% of underlying cash profit on Wednesday, a year ahead of schedule, after Britain's largest wealth adviser reported annual earnings that beat analysts' forecasts, sending shares up 5.4%.
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 ($624.8 million), above a company-compiled analysts' consensus estimate of 445.5 million pounds.
St. James's Place plans to return 70% of its underlying cash result to shareholders from 2026, up from 50% currently. Dividends are expected to account for at least 40% of shareholder returns, with share buy-backs making up the balance.
WEATHER THE STORM
Shares of European money managers slumped heavily earlier this month on investor concerns that artificial intelligence will upend established businesses.
CEO Mark FitzPatrick brushed aside February's AI-driven market rout, which dragged the company's shares down more than 12% at one point, saying the selloff amounted to "noises within the financial markets, nothing that was directly impacting our business."
On the volatility driven by tariffs, FitzPatrick said the company's diversification into multiple markets and sectors meant its clients "will be well positioned to be able to weather the storm".
The company has implemented cost-cutting measures to boost profitability and FitzPatrick said he was confident the company would hit its 100 million pound cost savings target by the beginning of 2027.
($1 = 0.7399 pounds)
(Reporting by Sri Hari N S in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Jan Harvey)
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.
Resilient equity markets boosted investor confidence, which in turn led to increased client activity, supporting stronger full-year earnings.
The figures refer to the company’s performance for the year ended December 31, reported by Reuters on February 25, 2026.
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