Record Inflows and Customer Growth
AJ Bell Reports Record £3 Billion Net Inflows and Strong Customer Growth in Third Quarter
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Key Points
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AI adoption among UK financial advisers has surged, with 74% now using AI (up from 43% a year earlier); 87% use AI for note-taking/transcription and 44% for report writing.
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Michael Summersgill said enhancements to AJ Bell’s adviser distribution strategy helped drive another record quarter of gross inflows.
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The D2C platform added 37,000 customers in the quarter, aiding overall growth to 762,000 D2C customers and a total of 39,000 new customers to 762,000 across the platform (about 23% year-on-year).
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AJ Bell added 79,000 customers in six months, signaling sustained momentum in its platform strategy.
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AUA rose to £121.5bn, up 26% year-on-year, with a 12% increase versus the prior quarter (Q2), underscoring continued growth in its platform business.
AJ Bell posted a record third quarter, pulling in £3.0bn in net inflows — a 43% jump from a year earlier — as total assets under administration climbed to £121.5bn, according to Sharecast. Gross inflows surged 50% to £6.0bn in the three months to 30 June.
Customer numbers hit 762,000 after the platform added 39,000 new users in the quarter, a 23% rise year-on-year, MarketScreener reported. AJ Bell has now added 79,000 customers in just six months, signaling that its growth is not slowing down.
Record Inflows Powered by Platform and Adviser Demand
AJ Bell's platform assets rose 26% year-on-year and 12% versus the prior quarter, reaching £121.5bn, LSE reported. That growth came from both sides of the business. The direct-to-consumer arm added 37,000 new customers. The advised side grew to 191,000 customers.
Chief Executive Michael Summersgill said enhancements to AJ Bell's adviser distribution strategy helped drive "another record quarter of gross inflows." The company credited strong demand for its low-cost, multi-channel offering as a key structural driver behind the results, according to Money Marketing.
Investment Business Grows 41% as AUM Hits £11.4bn
AJ Bell's investment business had a record quarter of its own. Net inflows reached £0.8bn, pushing assets under management to £11.4bn — up 41% year-on-year, Sharecast reported. That growth outpaced even the strong platform-level figures.
The company also announced a fee cut on its core managed portfolio service range. The annual charge will drop from 0.15% to 0.12% starting 1 October 2026. AJ Bell said the reduction reflects its commitment to passing scale benefits on to customers, according to Portfolio Adviser.
AI Adoption Among Financial Advisers Leaps to 74%
Alongside AJ Bell's results, a striking data point emerged about the adviser market. Some 74% of UK financial advisers now use artificial intelligence in their work, up sharply from 43% just a year ago, Money Marketing reported.
The most common use is note-taking and transcription, with 87% of AI-using advisers relying on it for that task. Around 44% use AI for writing reports. The rapid adoption shows how technology is reshaping the advice sector that AJ Bell serves and depends on for growth.
Structural Tailwinds Keep AJ Bell's Growth Story Intact
Management pointed to long-term structural drivers in the UK platform market as the foundation for continued momentum. Brand investment and marketing spend have also played a role, helping AJ Bell grow its customer base by roughly 23% over the past year, MarketScreener reported.
With £121.5bn in assets, 762,000 customers, and record inflows in back-to-back periods, AJ Bell is positioning itself as a dominant low-cost platform in the UK. The fee cut planned for 2026 suggests management intends to use scale to win even more market share, according to Portfolio Adviser.
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