UBS
Moves Ahead in Client Numbers
UBS Investment
Bank heads our first league table, based on firms' total
numbers of listed clients, this quarter as it did in August,
followed again by Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. The
considerable lead enjoyed by UBS has widened: it has 130.5
clients, up nine from last quarter, while Dresdner Kleinwort
Wasserstein has lost two at 80.5. Thirteen firms figure
in these tables, as opposed to twelve in August, the newcomer
being Grant Thornton, here in eleventh place with 40.5
listed clients.
The second size table ranks firms according to clients'
total pre-tax profits. HSBC has leapfrogged over UBS this
quarter, increasing its figure from £6732.5m to £7083.9m,
while that of UBS has dropped from £6883.4m to ££5239.6m.
Brewin Dolphin Securities has fallen four places from
fourth to eighth, with a corresponding drop from £96.8m
in August to -£125.1m this time. Seven of the thirteen
firms show negative figures, one more than last time.
Our first 'growth' table looks at firms with the fastest
growing clients. Once again the first and second places
are held by Williams de Broe and Seymour Pierce, with
figures of 31.3% and 17.7% respectively. Evolution Beeson
Gregory has climbed from twelfth to ninth place, although
with a negative figure of -9.2%: altogether seven firms
show a negative figure ranging from Arbuthnot with -2.5%
to Grant Thornton with -25.9%.
The fourth table is another growth table, listing financial
advisers according to the average increase in their clients'
earnings per share. The two leaders are unchanged from
last quarter, the number one spot retained by Seymour
Pierce, up to 20.9% from 19.9% in August, while runner-up
Williams de Broe shows a more significant increase from
5.2% to 16.2% this time. Close Brothers Corporate Finance
has moved up three places from ninth to sixth, and shows
a figure improved, although still negative, from -4.9%
to -0.8%. Overall figures are still disappointing, with
only the first four firms able to post a positive figure.
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to the Pinsent Masons Company Guide.