Highlights:
· Stable performance from a robust and diversified business
· Revenues of NOK 407m (NOK 403m)
· Net profit of NOK 50m (NOK 56m)
· Diluted EPS of NOK 0.09 (NOK 0.11)
CEO comments ? Well-positioned for navigating in troubled waters
Recent headlines have been dominated by heightened geopolitical uncertainty,
primarily driven by US policy developments, including international security and
newly introduced tariffs. As a result, market volatility has increased, leading
to a sell-off in global markets across asset classes.
During the first quarter, the Nordic markets remained relatively resilient,
supported by high levels of secondary trading activity and strong investor
demand for high-yield credit. This environment led to tight credit spreads and
favorable issuance conditions for high-yield bond issuers, resulting in robust
revenue contributions from our brokerage and debt capital markets (DCM)
segments.
As expected, Q1 marked a seasonally slower period for corporate M&A and equity
capital markets ECM) activity, with muted ECM volumes across the Nordic region.
Moreover, we are seeing a delay in the recovery of M&A activity, with the number
of announced transactions broadly in line with the previous year. Against this
backdrop, I am pleased that we successfully closed more than 30 transactions
during the quarter and achieved a modest year-over-year increase in top-line
revenue.
A key milestone at the start of the second quarter is the progress in Private
Banking. We are pleased to have started onboarding the first clients and look
forward to launching our offering to a broader audience in the coming weeks and
months. We appreciate the strong interest in our services and look forward to
welcoming a range of new clients to the firm.
We believe independent, objective advice and insights from external advisors are
essential, especially in markets experiencing significant uncertainty due to
unprecedented political and policy changes. Our primary focus is on effectively
supporting our clients through turbulent periods, ensuring they benefit from our
complete independence and the absence of conflicting interests from internal
lending or asset management operations. We are committed to providing clear
advice, best-in-class execution, and the agility to swiftly adapt to evolving
market conditions.
For further information:
Jonas Ström, CEO +46 8 566 294 68
Geir B. Olsen, CFO +47 22 01 60 35
Please find attached the Q1 Interim Report. A presentation will be held as a
webcast at 09:00 CEST and can be accessed through a weblink or call-in details
presented on our corporate website www.abgsc.com.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU
Market Abuse Regulation article 7 and is subject to the disclosure requirements
pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock
exchange announcement was submitted for publication, through the agency of the
contact persons set out above, at 08:00 CEST on 10 April 2025.