Quilter upgraded to 'neutral' thanks to adviser headcount rise

Analysts Andrew Sinclair, David Barma and Freya Kong cited Quilter's growing financial adviser headcount, gaining nine throughout H1 (0.6% growth) after a 19% decline since 2020. The analysts had previously cited the "relentless decline" in adviser headcount as their "key reason to be bearish", but the turnaround had pushed their expectations for the firm. "This is critical for us. We believe financial adviser headcount is Quilter's 'right to win' and that it acts as a leading indicator for future new business flows," the analysts said. The firm has also "taken impressive action on...