Your IndustryNov 12 2018

AFH's FUM hit £4.5bn on back of buying spree

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AFH's FUM hit £4.5bn on back of buying spree

AFH's buying spree has already boosted the company's revenues, pushing them up by 49 per cent to more than £50m in the 12 months to the end of October.

Since late August AFH has bought seven advice firms, plus the client book of the Colwyn Bay office of Beaufort Securities from its administrators.

In total the advice consolidator has made 16 acquisitions during 2018 so far which has helped push its funds under management up from £2.8bn in October 2017 to £4.5bn in the same month this year.

While AFH has said organic business provided "significant growth", the acquisitions made so far this year accounted for £4m of the new revenue.

Alan Hudson, chief executive of AFH, said the company will continue making acquisitions after raising £32.5m by issuing shares, including £15m in October despite market volatility.

He said: "The success and robustness of our acquisition model is reflected in the continued high level of acquisitions meeting earn out targets and the strong cash flow generated by the business to finance these earn out payments.

"I believe that shared values are critical in creating successful acquisitions that bind both advisers and clients to the AFH group and am pleased at the high level of advisers who remain with AFH many years after their earn out has been completed."

A spokesman for AFH said it had a "strong pipeline" of potential acquisitions, which were currently under negotiation.

The company's bosses stated the business should achieve revenues of £75m, funds under management of £5bn and an underlying earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation margin of 20 per cent.

damian.fantato@ft.com