Investec Says Nine-Month Operating Income Increased 1 Percent

Investec Plc (INVP), the owner of a bank and money manager in South Africa and the U.K., said operating income rose 1 percent in the nine months through December.

Operating profit before goodwill, acquired intangibles, non-operating items and taxation as well as non-controlling interests rose 5 percent from a year ago, the Johannesburg- and London-based company said in a statement today without giving details. Operating costs increased 4 percent in that period.

Asset management experienced net inflows as did the wealth and investment unit, while the South African banking business reported a “solid increase in operating profit in rand terms,” the company said. The Australian banking unit performed “significantly ahead of the prior period” as bad debts fell and the U.K. operations “reported results behind the prior period largely due to lower investment income earned,” it said.

Investec’s operations were hurt by the U.K.’s recession and the European sovereign debt crisis. While the South African economy slowed last year, it averted a recession and banks have not needed government support. Investec has been focused on boosting return on equity, eliminating duplication and taking on more clients.

The shares dropped 0.7 percent to 65.90 rand as of 9:31 a.m. in Johannesburg trading.

To contact the reporter on this story: Renee Bonorchis in Johannesburg at rbonorchis@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dale Crofts at dcrofts@bloomberg.net