Today Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX: IFL) provided a quarterly update for the three months ended 30 June 2023 (4Q23), announcing it has delivered positive net inflows for the full financial year and is executing important strategic initiatives to continue to simplify the business and improve growth momentum.

Highlights

• Funds Under Management and Administration (FUMA) increased by $3.7 billion (+1.3%) to $295 billion as at 30 June 2023
• Achieved positive net inflows target for FY23: $667 million on a continuing basis¹
• Final phase of 3-Year MLC Separation and Integration program confirmed
  • Future state Master Trust Platform selected
  • New Advice Services partnership model announced to drive future Advice profit and growth
  • Second wave of acquisition synergies and cost efficiencies underway

Insignia Financial CEO, Renato Mota, said, “Since completing the acquisition of MLC in May 2021, our priority has been the safe and timely integration of MLC and the creation of Insignia Financial. This has resulted in the accelerated delivery of benefits aligned to management’s original 3-year plan.

“The 2024 financial year represents the final year of the 3-year horizon, and we are today announcing a series of additional initiatives in support of growth beyond 2024.

“Against this backdrop, we saw continued momentum in flows delivering positive net inflows across both our Platform and Asset Management businesses, bringing full-year net inflows to $667 million on a continuing basis.”

Overview of 4Q23 FUMA & Advisers

• Funds Under Administration (FUA): $209.0 billion; Positive market movement of $4.3 billion combined with net inflows of $19 million for the quarter, were partly offset by pension payments of $782 million, leading to an overall increase of $3.5 billion (+1.7%).
• Funds Under Management (FUM): $85.9 billion; Positive market movement of $1.6 billion combined with net inflows of $46 million, were partly offset by internal transfers of $1.5 billion, resulting in an overall increase of $183 million.
• Advice: There were 1,413 advisers in the Insignia Financial Advice network as at 30 June 2023, comprising 242 advisers in the Professional Services (Employed) channel and 1,171 advisers in the Advice Services channels (Self-Employed and Self-Licensed). This is 70 fewer in total than for the previous quarter.

Strategy update

Insignia Financial has, during the year, continued to add to its strong track-record of delivering on strategic initiatives, including accelerated synergy benefits realised ahead of the original 3-year plan.

These achievements now provide the opportunity for a strategic refresh, allowing Insignia Financial to prioritise and focus with greater clarity on unlocking the full opportunities of the MLC acquisition through finalising separation and integration, while focusing investment in its key areas of competitive advantage.

Underpinning Insignia Financial’s ambition of creating financial wellbeing for all Australians is a unique set of diversified business capabilities allowing it to create specific combinations of advice, platform, and asset management insights to deliver more affordable and accessible financial outcomes for clients across a spectrum of needs.

This has led to today’s announcements addressing key initiatives and opportunities in the below areas:

• Platforms: target state Master Trust strategy
• Financial Advice: creation of a new Advice Services partnership model
• Efficiency Program: delivering additional synergy and cost reduction benefits

Read the full announcement.