However, there was no news on a permanent chairman to replace acting chair and senior independent director Jonathan Asquith who assumed the role in April after Sir Douglas Flint stood down after the AGM. 

In a conference call, chief executive Jason Windsor said there had been “considerable interest” in the post and denied there was a problem finding the right candidate.

Group adjusted operating profit increased by 21% to £151 million, driven by revenue growth and efficiency improvements. Net operating revenue rose 2% to £643m, while adjusted operating expenses fell by 2% to £492m.

IFRS profit before tax of £276m (H1 2025: £271m) includes gains of £100m (H1 2025: gains of £155m) from the change in fair value of our Standard Life plc stake and lower restructuring and corporate transaction expenses.

The company expressed confidence in achieving its 2026 targets, though the interim dividend remained unchanged at 7.3p. Assets under management and administration (AUMA) grew 4% to £579.4 billion.

Jason Windsor, chief executive, said: “In a dynamic market, the group produced a strong performance.”

Interactive investor, based in Manchester where it has about 800 staff, saw customer numbers up by 14% to 525,000.

“With clear plans to further deepen customer engagement in a fast growing and attractive market, I am excited by the significant momentum we have in the UK D2C market,” said Mr Windsor.

Adjusted operating profit was broadly stable on H1 last year at £41m but he admitted there was more to do.

“We have made significant improvements to service, the proposition and client experience, however we have more work to do to achieve growth inflows,” said Mr Windsor.

“Our focus for the second half of the year is on delivering more for our customers and achieving the 2026 targets that we have set for the group. Looking ahead, we see substantial headroom for further growth across the business.”

Nick Sherrard, managing director of Label Sessions, said: “Aberdeen has delivered against much of what leaders promised in March, with interactive investor continuing to be the stand-out performer.

“That answers some of the critics. But it doesn’t answer the bigger question: what is this company now?

“Is this an asset manager with a platform attached, or a wealth business carrying an asset manager? That’s much less about branding and more about the company’s overall proposition.

“There is a genuinely valuable company to build here. Delivering wealth, advice, and investing as one connected service requires Aberdeen to decide what it is. It can then begin to land that message with customers and markets alike, accepting what that means for the parts of the business that no longer fit.”