Fiducian to unlock full potential
Financial services specialist, Fiducian Group, aims to realise the full potential of this planning businesses as it builds on the positive momentum of its 2015 financial year results.
In a letter to shareholders, Fiducian managing director, Indy Singh, and chairman, Robert Bucknell, reported that underlying net profit after tax (UNPAT) had increased 28 per cent to $5.75 million, with underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation and restructure costs (UEBITA) climbing 19 per cent, to $8.07 million.
Fiducian reported that funds under advice (FUA) in its planning business had grown from $1.37 billion to $1.71 billion, as planner numbers, net inflow and financial markets lifted.
However, the planning arm of Fiducian was not the sole factor behind the group's strong result, with Singh and Bucknell reporting that "all operational divisions contributed positively to the result".
"Management will focus on realising the full potential for growth that's been built on the solid foundation of financial planning, platform administration, investment management, information technology and business/accounting services," Singh said.
A fully franked final dividend of 5.5 cents per share has been declared and will bring the total fully franked dividend declared for the 2015 financial year to 10 cents, an increase of 10 per cent (2014: 9.1 cents).
Two financial planning client bases with around $145 million under advice were acquired recently, taking current funds under advice to $1.71 billion, with management announcing it will intensify its efforts to grow the financial planning business through organic growth and acquisition.
Fiducian's multi-asset, multi-style approach has delivered attractive returns: specialist funds include the Fiducian India Fund at 41 per cent, and Fiducian Technology Fund at 41.2 per cent. Fiducian's diversified funds were a standout: Fiducian's Ultra Growth Fund is second out of 113 funds, the Growth and Balanced Funds are third and eighth out of 188 funds, and the Capital Stable Fund is fifth out of 117 funds.
AUTHOR
Nicholas O'Donoghue
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