AGF Management Limited Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Results

/EIN News/ -- TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

• Reported AUM increased to $38.8 billion, compared to $37.7 billion in 2018
• Private alternative AUM of $2.6 billion, representing growth of $1.6 billion or 155% in the year
• Diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.28 for the quarter and $0.60 for fiscal 2019

AGF Management Limited (AGF or the Company) (TSX: AGF.B) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended November 30, 2019.

Total assets under management (AUM) increased 2.8% to $38.8 billion compared to the same period in 2018.

“2019 was a year focused on evolving the structure of the firm for the disruptive market conditions we face across our industry, from the ongoing market uncertainty to the changing client dynamics and regulatory regimes around the globe,” said Kevin McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, AGF. “Against this backdrop, we were able to progress our strategic imperatives and further position the firm for growth.”

 Key Business Highlights:

• During 2019, AGF announced a merger between Smith & Williamson Holdings and Tilney Group to create one of the U.K.’s leading integrated wealth management and professional services groups. Based on the terms of arrangement, AGF will divest its minority stake and expects to receive total cash and equity proceeds of £193.2 million (approximately C$331.8 million¹) while maintaining a 2.3% interest in the newly merged company.
• On January 20, 2020, AGF announced that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) informed Tilney Group that the proposed transaction structure for the merger of Smith & Williamson and Tilney Group has not met with its approval. Discussions with the FCA are ongoing to determine the required steps forward. All parties remain fully committed to the merger and continue to believe very strongly in the underlying strategic rationale of bringing the respective businesses together. It is anticipated that the completion of the transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approval, may be delayed.
• Committed $75.0 million to a closed-end fund managed by InstarAGF. The fund is expected to close in March 2020.
• Launched three liquid alternative funds in Canada: AGFiQ US Market Neutral Anti-Beta CAD-Hedged ETF (QBTL), AGFiQ US Long/Short Dividend Income CAD-Hedged ETF (QUDV) and AGFiQ US Long/Short Dividend Income CAD-Hedged Fund to provide diversification opportunities through innovative alternative investment strategies. 
• Earned a Lipper Fund Award for AGF’s U.S. Small-Mid Cap Series MF for three- and five-year performance.
• As a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investments, AGF maintained its overall “Strategy and Governance” score of ‘A+’, and its overall score of ‘A’ under “Incorporation under listed Equity” in their 2019 Assessment Report.
• Implemented a restructuring plan to reduce costs while focusing on improving efficiencies, resulting in a $6.6 million or 3.4% reduction in SG&A (adjusted for IFRS 15), compared to the prior year.

“With expense discipline embedded in our DNA, we remain focused on efficiency initiatives, while embracing digital transformation to execute on our strategy and achieve our objectives for 2020,” added McCreadie. “In addition, we intend to grow our presence in the U.S. market and deepen our alternatives business, both of which complement our core investments and client servicing capabilities.”

Reported mutual funds net redemptions were $886.0 million for the year ended November 30, 2019, compared to net sales of $136.0 million in 2018. Excluding net flows from institutional clients invested in mutual funds², net redemptions were $556.3 million in 2019, compared to net redemptions of $58.8 million in 2018.

Income for the three months and year ended November 30, 2019 was $114.5 million and $436.7 million, compared to $108.5 million and $450.2 million for the three months and year ended November 30, 2018. EBITDA was $38.7 million and $110.0 million for the three months and year ended November 30, 2019, compared to $28.7 million and $106.5 million for the same periods in 2018. Adjusting for one-time items, EBITDA was $34.6 million and $120.3 million, compared to $27.2 million and $110.2 million for the same periods in 2018.

Diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations for the three months and year ended November 30, 2019 was $0.28 and $0.60, compared to $0.19 and $0.92 for the comparative period. Adjusting for one-time items, diluted EPS for the three months and year ended November 30, 2019 was $0.24 and $0.71, compared to $0.17 and $0.64 for the same periods in 2018.

For the three months ended November 30, 2019, AGF declared an eight cent per share dividend on Class A Voting common shares and Class B Non-Voting shares, which was paid on January 16, 2020 to shareholders on record as at January 8, 2020.

	(from continuing operations)	Three months ended									Years ended
			November 30,			August 31,			November 30,			November 30,			November 30,
	(in millions of Canadian dollars, except per share data)		2019	3		2019	3		2018			2019	3		2018
	Income	$	114.5		$	107.4		$	108.5		$	436.7		$	450.2
	Net income attributable to equity owners
	of the Company		22.2			14.4			14.7			47.9			73.9
	EBITDA before commissions4		38.7			29.0			28.7			110.0			106.5
	Adjusted EBITDA before commissions4		34.6			29.0			27.2			120.3			110.2
	Diluted earnings per share attributable to
	equity owners of the Company		0.28			0.18			0.19			0.60			0.92
	Adjusted diluted earnings per share attributable to
	equity owners of the Company4		0.24			0.18			0.17			0.71			0.64
	Free Cash Flow4		18.3			9.7			16.1			52.8			41.4
	Dividends per share		0.08			0.08			0.08			0.32			0.32
	Long-term debt		207.3			158.9			188.6			207.3			188.6

	(end of period)	Three months ended											Years ended
			November 30,				August 31,				November 30,			November 30,				November 30,
	(in millions of Canadian dollars)		2019				2019				2018			2019				2018
	Mutual fund Assets Under Management (AUM)5
	(including retail pooled funds)	$	19,346			$	18,839			$	18,713		$	19,346			$	18,713
	Institutional, sub-advisory and ETF accounts AUM		10,755				10,391				12,475			10,755				12,475
	Private client AUM		6,100				5,778				5,513			6,100				5,513
	Private alternative AUM6		2,580				2,413				1,011			2,580				1,011
	Total AUM, including private alternative AUM		38,781				37,421				37,712			38,781				37,712
	Net mutual fund sales (redemptions)5		(181	)			(103	)			111			(886	)			136
	Average daily mutual fund AUM5		19,015				18,915				18,958			18,908				19,060

1		Canadian dollar figure assumes an exchange rate of 1.7172 as at November 30, 2019.
2		Net sales (redemptions) in retail mutual funds are calculated as reported mutual fund net sales (redemptions) less non-recurring institutional net sales (redemptions) in excess of $5.0 million invested in our mutual funds.
3		Refer to Note 3 in the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on the adoption of IFRS 15.
4		EBITDA before commissions (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and deferred selling commissions), adjusted EBITDA, before commissions, adjusted diluted earnings per share and Free Cash Flow are not standardized measures prescribed by IFRS. The Company utilizes non-IFRS measures to assess our overall performance and facilitate a comparison of quarterly and full-year results from period to period. They allow us to assess our investment management business without the impact of non-operational items. These non-IFRS measures may not be comparable with similar measures presented by other companies. These non-IFRS measures and reconciliations to IFRS, where necessary, are included in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis available at www.agf.com.
5		Mutual fund AUM includes retail AUM and institutional client AUM invested in customized series offered within mutual funds.
6		Represents fee-earning committed and/or invested capital from AGF and external investors held through joint ventures. AGF’s portion of this commitment is $208.8 million, of which $138.5 million has been funded as at November 30, 2019.

For further information and detailed financial statements for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended November 30, 2019, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis, which contains discussions of non-IFRS measures, please refer to AGF’s website at www.agf.com under 'About AGF' and 'Investor Relations' and at www.sedar.com.

Conference Call

AGF will host a conference call to review its earnings results today at 11 a.m. ET.

The live audio webcast with supporting materials will be available in the Investor Relations section of AGF’s website at www.agf.com or at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/jwxo2igr. Alternatively, the call can be accessed toll-free in North America by dialing 1 (800) 708-4540 (Passcode #: 49267214).

A complete archive of this discussion along with supporting materials will be available at the same webcast address within 24 hours of the end of the conference call.

About AGF Management Limited

Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. AGF brings a disciplined approach to delivering excellence in investment management through its fundamental, quantitative, alternative and high-net-worth businesses focused on providing an exceptional client experience. AGF’s suite of investment solutions extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and individual investors to institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds and endowments and foundations.

AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America, Europe and Asia. With nearly $39 billion in total assets under management, AGF serves more than one million investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

AGF Management Limited shareholders, analysts and media, please contact:

Adrian Basaraba
Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer
416-865-4203, InvestorRelations@agf.com   

Baoqin Guo
Vice-President, Finance
416-865-4228, InvestorRelations@agf.com

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements about the Company, including its business operations, strategy and expected financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as ‘expects,’ ‘estimates,’ ‘anticipates,’ ‘intends,’ ‘plans,’ ‘believes’ or negative versions thereof and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as ‘may,’ ‘will,’ ‘should,’ ‘would’ and ‘could.’ In addition, any statement that may be made concerning future financial performance (including income, revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, fund performance, and possible future action on our part, is also a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on certain factors and assumptions, including expected growth, results of operations, business prospects, business performance and opportunities. While we consider these factors and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are inherently subject to, among other things, risks, uncertainties and assumptions about our operations, economic factors and the financial services industry generally. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by us due to, but not limited to, important risk factors such as level of assets under our management, volume of sales and redemptions of our investment products, performance of our investment funds and of our investment managers and advisors, client-driven asset allocation decisions, pipeline, competitive fee levels for investment management products and administration, and competitive dealer compensation levels and cost efficiency in our investment management operations, as well as general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets, business competition, taxation, changes in government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, technological changes, cybersecurity, catastrophic events, and our ability to complete strategic transactions and integrate acquisitions, and attract and retain key personnel. We caution that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than specifically required by applicable laws, we are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more complete discussion of the risk factors that may impact actual results, please refer to the ‘Risk Factors and Management of Risk’ section of the 2019 Annual MD&A.