Advice firm Ascot Lloyd has delivered a solid set of results as it puts acquisition at the heart of its growth strategy.
In its 2021 results, the company said a number of deals are at a “very advanced stage” with two acquisitions already completed in 2022. It made three acquisitions in 2021 – pushing the total to 30 deals since 2017.
The firm’s acquisition push has been boosted by its sale to European private equity business Nordic Capital for an undisclosed sum in April 2022. The IFA firm was previously owned by US investment firm Oaktree Capital Management, the company that acquired Sanlam UK.
Nigel Stockton (pictured), Ascot Lloyd chief executive, said: “We are pleased to report another very strong year for Ascot Lloyd, and I am particularly encouraged to see us deliver on our strategy of growing both organically and through acquisition.
“Last year, we added a number of high-quality IFA businesses that represented fits with our existing culture and values. Growth through acquisition will continue to be the foundation to our strategy but, now we are at scale, we are also accelerating our own organic growth activities through greater client referral, lead generation and extending our client introducer network.
“Furthermore, our discretionary fund manager, Avellemy, continues to grow both revenues and profitability. In 2022, we are also planning further investment in technology to enhance both our offering and the accessibility of this.
“Our recently announced acquisition by Nordic Capital will give us significant new firepower to further invest in expanding our UK footprint. As we look ahead, Ascot Lloyd is in great shape and our commitment to client excellence will be the foundation for the continued growth we expect to achieve in 2022.”
Results
For the year ending 31 December 2021, Ascot Lloyd reported total revenues of £80.3m– up 28% from £62.6m in 2020.
Total funds under management rose to £9.8bn from £9.4bn the previous year.
The discretionary fund management business also reported a positive performance with funds under management increasing to £2.6bn.
This article first appeared on our sister publication International Adviser.