Alpha Group - What next post-earnings and CEO sucession plan?My take on Alpha Group:
Alpha Group LSE:ALPH leads, in my view, as the UK's best FXRM firm, and institutional lending provider. What most lenders don't do is take a mixed approach - both expertise and technology when developing and implementing their services. From a macro perspective, Alpha Group provide stronger growth prospects than peers, as well as higher margins. They are continuously making large investments into their infrastructure, expanding their already strong platform. Analysts ests. momentum continues to be strong, due to the cheap valuation (despite the inflated NII).
The acquisition of Cobase had provided an additional vector of growth for the company, and will continue to do so into the future. Presently, and historically, Alpha Group have always displayed a super solid balance sheet, indicating mgmt. are in control. Buybacks are continuous, with £20m now completed in this year alone, leaving them with a huge cash position, over £180m.
And, as we all know by know, interest rates are dropping globally! Slowly, but surely, we will come down to a more modest cost of borrowing, and Alpha Group are a major beneficiary of this.
4th September 2024 - 1H24 results
• Total income up 19% yoy to £107m. Revenues at £64m, a 16% yoy rise. 1H underlying EBITDA @ £25.3m (39.4% margin), surpassing PH’s estimate of £23.3m.
• Additionally, an increase in net client additions and revenue per client. Corporate FXRM client base grew by 9% yoy, and institutional FX client numbers rose 11% yoy.
• Cash up again! Now sitting on £180m at the end of the first half. Buyback on track, now with £20m completed.
• As at 04/09, trading at approx. 6x ‘25e EV/EBITDA and an 8% FCF yield, still suggesting good valuation for buying.
10th September 2024 - CEO Transition & Succession
- Alpha Group announced today that Morgan Tillbrook, CEO, has decided to step down from his duties at the company.
- He will continue his role up until the end of the calendar year, where he will then be succeeded by Clive Khan.
- Clive is currently Chairman at Alpha Group and is also the CEO of takepayments. takepayments was recently acquired by Global Payments NYSE:GPN , which I believe provides perfect timing for Clive to step down as CEO and step up for the role at Alpha Group.
- With over 30 years in the FX and payments industry, there's no real better option than Clive, as his philosophy is almost identical to Morgan's.
- He transformed takepayments from a failing bill payments business into one of the leading card acceptance businesses in the UK. As for Morgan, he too has a history of angel investing.
- I anticipated a potential move for Morgan, as his long history of angel investing gave me a "heads up" to his absence.
- At the open on the 10th, the markets felt disappointed and surprised, causing the stock to drop c.10% on the day.
- However, Morgan made absolutely clear in his formal announcement that he will be leaving the business primed for further exponential growth and equipped with a robust business model. He emphasised that Alpha Group cannot be left in better hands than Clive, and I believe there is no reason to expect a rough transition in the step-up for him.
