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Car insurance to loans group Admiral post record profits

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Admiral staff, which include more than 7,000 in South Wales, will receive £1,800 of free shares on the strong trading performance in 2025

Chief executive of Admiral Milena Mondini de Focatiis.(Image: Matthew Horwood)

Car insurance to loans group and Wales’ only FTSE business, Admiral, has reported a 16% surge in pre-tax profit to £957.9m. The record performance sees 13,000 staff being rewarded with £1,800 worth of free shares under the group’s employee share scheme.

The Cardiff headquartered business employs more than 7,000 in South Wales.

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For its 2025 financial year group turnover came in at £5.9bn, down 1% on 2024. While it said the UK car insurance market remained softer than expected a strong focus drove what it described as “excellent results” in its core business, with profits exceeding £1bn for the first time. Its car insurance business in Europe performed well with strong growth and profitability in France and what it described as a rapid recovery in Italy. Admiral, whose other lines includes pet and home insurance, also operates in Spain.

Admiral Money saw a 24% rise in its gross loan balances to £1.46bn, while contributing £26m to overall group profit – double the amount in 2024 Over 13,000 employees will each receive free share awards worth up to £1,800 under the employee share schemes based on the full year 2025 results.

READ MORE: Admiral invests in fund backing growth of UK mid-market firmsREAD MORE: Admiral acquires commercial fleet insurer fintech Flock in an £80m deal

Admiral chief executive Milena Mondini de Focatiis, “2025 was an exceptional year for Admiral, reflecting the strength of our business model, our discipline and the quality of execution across the Group. We reported record profits, continued to grow our customer base and diversify our business, while maintaining momentum in how we invest and innovate.

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“The group reported profit of £958m, up 16 per cent, supported by customer growth of 7%. UK Motor delivered an exceptional performance, surpassing £1bn of profit, while our other UK personal lines, Admiral Money and European Motor operations together generated nearly £100m of profit, with strong results in France and a rapid recovery in Italy.

“Our focus on customers remains central. Investment in our digital journeys, app functionality and product development continue to improve everyday experiences for customers, . This is reflected in consistently strong service outcomes.

“2025 was also a year of purposeful acceleration. We completed the integration of More Than, continued to enhance our product range and increased our investment in technology, data and artificial intelligence. We have established a GenAI Centre of Excellence to move from experimentation to scale, with early pilots showing encouraging signs of improved efficiency and enhanced customer outcomes.”

The results discount the impact of its US car insurance business, Elephant. Its acquisition by US private equity firm JC Flower was finalised last month. As part of its growth strategy Admiral last month acquired London-based digital fleet insurer Flock in a £80m deal

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On the outlook the chief executive said: “As we refresh our strategy, our focus is on compounding Admiral’s strengths in data, technology, diversified products and operational excellence to drive greater efficiency, stronger customer retention and long‑term value creation, particularly through multi‑product relationships. Our strong financial position also provides flexibility to continue investing in the business and support future shareholder returns.

“At the start of 2026, we announced that Geraint Jones will retire as Group chief finance officer this summer. Geraint has made an outstanding contribution to Admiral and played a central role in shaping Admiral’s performance and culture. I am pleased he will continue to support the group in a part-time role, and I look forward to working with Rachel Lewis, who will become group CFO on July 1, bringing deep business knowledge, leadership and a proven track-record of delivery.

“Admiral enters the next phase of its strategy in a position of strength. Our culture, people and disciplined approach remain central to everything that we do and I would like to thank our colleagues across the Group for their continued commitment to our customers and to each other.”

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Frasers Group acquires 5.77% stake in athletic giant Puma

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Retail giant Frasers Group has acquired a 5.77% stake in athletic apparel manufacturer Puma, worth over €5.5m, plus additional put option shares valued at €187m

Businessman and Frasers Group CEO Mike Ashley

Businessman and Frasers Group CEO Mike Ashley(Image: Kirsty O’Connor/PA Wire)

Frasers Group has snapped up a stake in sportswear heavyweight Puma.

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The retail powerhouse has acquired 246,000 shares in the athletics firm, according to German filings published on Thursday and revealed by City AM.

With Puma’s share price currently sitting at €22.50, this 5.77 per cent holding is valued at over €5.5m.

Frasers Group, established by British entrepreneur Mike Ashley, also owns Flannels, Sports Direct, House of Fraser and Debenhams.

A portion of the shares purchased by Frasers are held directly, whilst the bulk have been secured through a put option – allowing the purchaser to offload assets at a predetermined price ahead of a specified date – City AM understands, as reported by City AM.

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Alongside the direct shareholding, Frasers has secured an additional 8.3m put option shares, valued at a further €187m based on Thursday’s trading price.

Three million of the put option shares expire mid-next month, whilst a further one million run until September, with the balance set to lapse in December.

The shares are owned by Frasers Group but recorded under Ashley’s name in line with German stock market regulations.

Puma, established in Germany in 1948, ranks as the globe’s third-largest sports clothing manufacturer. It has moved its UK headquarters from London to Manchester‘s Circle Square development as the city cements its position as Britain’s sportswear capital.

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The company’s shares climbed three per cent on Thursday but have fallen 20 per cent over the past year.

Frasers controls substantial positions in fashion businesses Hugo Boss, Asos and Boohoo. The British entrepreneur frequently takes an active role in his investment portfolio, having lately sought board representation at Debenhams whilst the retailer endeavours to orchestrate a recovery.

Manchester City PUMA Home Shirt 2025-26

Manchester City’s Puma home shirt(Image: Fanatics)

Puma and Frasers Group were contacted for comment by City AM.

Puma announced last year that it was moving its sales, marketing, merchandising, finance, people and operations and direct to consumer departments to Manchester. At the time, Lucynda Davies, UK managing director at Puma, said: “Being surrounded by such a strong line up of industry was an important factor, and to find somewhere in the heart of Manchester’s thriving tech community is exactly what we hoped for.

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“Being based at Circle Square will also open up a host of opportunities to tap into the city’s creative talent pool and strengthen our existing links with academic partners like Manchester Metropolitan University – of which we get the added benefit of Bruntwood SciTech being a partner.”

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Oil rises over 2% on supply concerns as Iran conflict widens

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Oil rises over 2% on supply concerns as Iran conflict widens

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Exclusive-No talk of triggering NATO’s Article 5 over Turkey missile shoot-down, Rutte says

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Exclusive-No talk of triggering NATO’s Article 5 over Turkey missile shoot-down, Rutte says


Exclusive-No talk of triggering NATO’s Article 5 over Turkey missile shoot-down, Rutte says

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B&G Foods CEO: Green Giant ‘not the right fit’

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B&G Foods CEO: Green Giant ‘not the right fit’

: Portfolio revamp takes shape but hits fiscal 2025 bottom line.

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Iran War: MISL And SHLD Should Get A Big Boost As America Rearms (NYSEARCA:MISL)

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Iran War: MISL And SHLD Should Get A Big Boost As America Rearms (NYSEARCA:MISL)

This article was written by

Markets rise and fall, booms come and go, and the world keeps ticking. Ultimately, I believe observing megatrends, as difficult as they can be to spot, let alone fully comprehend, can yield insights into the advance of human society, which in turn could pave the way for many useful investment insights. As society and technologies evolve, companies and other stakeholders will seize advantages. Figuring out which companies will take the best advantage of any given opportunities is not easy. I am especially interested in macrotrends, futurism, and increasingly, emerging technologies. However, as far as investing is concerned, it’s crucial to pay attention to the fundamentals, quality of leadership, product pipeline, and all the other details. In recent years, I have focused on marketing and business strategy, primarily for medium sized companies and startups. I have worked in international development, including overseas for a foreign Prime Minister’s office, as well as non-profit work in the United States. Among other tasks, I evaluated startups and emerging industries/technologies. I have also moonlighted as a technology and economic news journalist. Now I’m looking to tie everything together. While my personal interests will always keep megatrends and technological developments in mind, I do believe fundamentals and technicals are vital to uncovering opportunities.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in MISL over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Nearly 4m Londoners below income level for decent living standard

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Nearly 4m Londoners below income level for decent living standard

Renting for an adult is more than twice as expensive in outer London than other UK cities, increasing to three times as expensive in inner London, meaning the income needed to live “with dignity” – defined as being “able to take part in the world around you in a meaningful way” – in London is far more than other UK cities.

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BYD launches new generation Blade Battery with rapid charging in cold environments

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BYD launches new generation Blade Battery with rapid charging in cold environments


BYD launches new generation Blade Battery with rapid charging in cold environments

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Foxtons Group plc (FXTGY) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Guy Gittins
Group CEO & Executive Director

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining the Foxtons’ 2025 Full Year Results Presentation. I’m joined, as always, by Chris Huff, our Group CFO, and we will answer any questions at the end of the call.

This morning, I will take you through some of the highlights of 2025, provide an update on the London property market. Chris will then talk you through the financials, and I will finish with an update on our operational progress in the year, followed by some detail on the outlook for 2026.

We delivered 5% revenue and EBITDA growth in the year, driven by incremental acquisitions revenue and operational progress in areas such as Lettings, cross-selling and financial services. These higher revenues offset the challenging operating environment, including a volatile sales market and cost headwinds to deliver flat operating profit.

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These results highlight the resilience of our business as a result of our strategy to position Foxtons firmly as a Lettings-led business. Our portfolio now exceeds 32,000 tenancies, which is up over 50% over the last 5 years, and these tenancies generate highly valuable reoccurring revenues. In 2025, these revenues generated over 2/3 of group revenue.

We delivered 8% Lettings market share growth through improved landlord attraction, retention to build on our position as London’s largest agent. And impressively, for a London-focused business, we are also the U.K.’s largest Lettings brand.

We continue to execute our strategy

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Here’s 5 Reasons to Upgrade or Switch From PC

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MacBook Neo

Apple introduced the world to MacBook Neo. It may not be the most powerful computer or the one with the most features, but Apple made sure to make it more affordable for anyone who wants the upgrade.

Here’s Why You Should Upgrade to the MacBook Neo

Apple recently unveiled the latest Mac in their lineup, and it is in the form of a new laptop computer called the MacBook Neo.

According to Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, John Terminus, the MacBook Neo “delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price.”

It offers a blend of premium Mac features and notable performance for an affordable price. Here is why this is one of the top computers to consider for your next upgrade or switch from a Windows PC.

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Budget-Friendly

One of the defining qualities of the MacBook Neo is its budget-friendliness. The new Mac was designated by Apple to be its midrange laptop, offering an affordable choice in the lineup.

The MacBook Neo starts at $599 in the United States and is cheaper for those who will get it via the Education program at only $499. However, this base variant comes with only 256GB of storage and without the Touch ID.

In comparison, the previous cheapest Mac in the lineup is the MacBook Air, and over the years, it started at an average price of $999.

Apple Silicon: A18 Pro

Apple may have stayed away from its flagship M-series for the Neo, but they still gave it the Silicon chip in the form of the A18 Pro.

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The chipset is the same one that powers the iPhone 16 Pro series, and Apple claimed that it is still 50% faster than the latest Intel Core Ultra 5. The company also noted that it is up to three times faster for on-device AI workloads and two times faster for photo editing and similar tasks.

The MacBook Neo comes with an integrated 5-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine to support on-device AI.

MacBook’s Features

The Neo is a full-fledged MacBook, but it is more comparable to the M1 version of the MacBook Air as it does not have the MagSafe charging port.

It only comes with two USB-C ports for charging, data connection, and connecting an external display, as well as a headphone jack. It also brings Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6 to deliver the latest wireless connection features to the computer.

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Lightweight Laptop

The 13-inch laptop only weighs in at 2.7 pounds or approximately 1.3 kilograms, making it a lightweight laptop for daily use. The M5 MacBook Air also weighs the same as the Neo.

Fun Colors on MacBook

The MacBook Neo features four colors to choose from, and these include the classic Silver, Blush (Pink), Citrus (Yellow, but almost Yellow Green), and Indigo (Navy Blue).

Originally published on Tech Times

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Form 8K CorMedix Inc For: 5 March

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Form 8K CorMedix Inc For: 5 March

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