Polar Capital profits up 52% in 'year of two halves'

AUM settles at £13.8bn from September's £14.7bn peak

Polar Capital boosted its core operating profits by 52% to £42.2m in a 2019 financial year which saw total assets under management grow by 15% despite being hit by market volatility in the fourth quarter of the year.

The firm's AUM was £13.8bn as of 31 March, up from £12bn at the same time last year, after peaking at £14.7bn in September 2018 with the firm benefiting from strong performance and investor flows before the October market sell-off. Polar Capital appoints CIO from JOHCM Polar Capital's annual report to 31 March, published today (14 June), attributed asset growth to £500m of net inflows and £1.3bn from "market uplift and performance". The most notable growth by strategy was within its Technology vehicle, which saw AUM climb by 28% from £3.3bn to £4.5bn. Profitability was aided by ...