Count posts healthiest of AFSL first halves

Mike Taylor

Managing Editor/Publisher, Financial Newswire

25 February 2026

Count Financial has posted one of the healthiest half-year results of Australia’s publicly-listed wealth management groups, with a 133% increase in statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of $9.2 million plus solid capital backing for further growth.

The Count result can be compared to that of another publicly-listed advice business, Centrepoint Alliance, which yesterday reported a 15% decline in net profit after tax attributable to members of $3.868 million, while pointing to net profit before tax of $3.5 million and an 18% increase in normalised net profit before tax of $4.5 million on the back of a 7% increase in net revenue to $21.5 million.

In both cases, growth in adviser numbers and productivity represented key elements with Count reporting increased wealth earnings due to 49% growth in Funds Under Management (FUM) plus higher than expected gross business earnings contribution from Adviser licensing fees.

The company’s investor briefing pointed to its ability to set and sustain fee levels in a constrained market, underpinned by value-add services, with the median advice fee up 18% year on year to $4,500.

For its part, Centrepoint Alliance pointed to being the number 2 ranked licensee in the Australian market, “driven by ongoing adviser recruitment and strong retention”.

It said that as at 31 December, the group supported 587 licensed advisers, representing net growth of 14 advisers since 1 July, last year. The same table listed Count as having 568 advisers.

Further, Centrepoint said that as of 20 February, 15 more advisers had joined the Group, with a further 16 advisers signed and progressing through onboarding.

Like, Count Centrepoint pointed to increasing adviser productivity with salaried advice revenue increasing by $1 million (24%) reflecting the firm’s Brighter Super acquisition and pricing changes aligned to service scope.

It said increasing adviser adoption of managed accounts and the IconiQ platform drove 72% growth in combined funds under management and funds under administration to $565 million.

The message from Count chief executive, Hugh Humphrey was that the firm would remain focused on growing its employed financial advisers, whilst targeting financial planning revenues to represent 50% of equity partnership revenues within five years.

He also pointed to the continued execution of Count’s mergers and acquisition strategy together with the accelerated rollout of the firm’s CARE investment philosophy and Count Investments Solutions, targeting $10b in FUM within five years.

He noted that the Group now employs around 80 financial advisers within its Equity Partnerships and expects this to continue to grow both organically and inorganically.

The Count board declared an interim dividend of two cents per share.

The Centrepoint Board declared an interim dividend of 1.25 cents, fully franked.