Schroders chief executive Richard Oldfield has denied speculation that the company’s founding family is considering selling its stake in the asset management firm.
The Schroder family, which holds approximately 44% of the business, is not reviewing its stake for a potential sale, according to Oldfield’s recent comments to the Financial Times (FT).
Oldfield told FT: “No, there is no intention of the family to sell. I engage with two members of the family through the board. They are tremendously supportive, they have made their statutory statement in the annual report that is very clear about their long-term commitment to the business.”
The speculation emerged in the wake of a challenging period for Schroders, with its shares declining about 40% from their peak in 2021.
However, Oldfield has made it clear that the business is not on the market.
“Am I putting the business up for sale? No,” he stated.
Oldfield highlighted a transformation plan for the company that was set out in March, and he pointed to the company’s latest results as evidence of progress.
The asset manager revealed net inflows of £4.5bn in the first half of the year, excluding its joint ventures, marking a turnaround from the £3.9bn of outflows recorded a year prior.
Despite this, joint ventures, particularly in China, have posed challenges, resulting in total net outflows of £1bn.
The company has “right-sized” its operations in China, a move Oldfield described as reallocating capital rather than reducing commitment to the region.
Financially, Schroders reported total assets under management (AUM) of £776.6bn for the half-year ended 30 June 2025.
Net operating revenue increased by 2% year-on-year to £1.17bn, driven by a strong performance in wealth management, which saw a 9% rise to £258.3m.
The company also reported an adjusted operating profit of £316m, up 7% from the previous year.
However, statutory profit before tax fell to £196.9m from £276.3m in the first half of 2024.
Last month, Schroders launched its global digital assets centre of excellence in Singapore to drive innovation, thought leadership and best practices in digital assets.
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