TP ICAP holds dividend steady as underlying profit nudges higher

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Inter-dealer broker TP ICAP posted a slight rise in first-half underlying profit and held its dividend steady.

Pre-tax profit for the six months through June fell 6% to £78m, down from £83m on-year, owing to exceptional costs, such acquisition and other expenses.

Revenue rose 7% to £990m and underlying pre-tax profit rose 1.5% to £136m.

TP ICAP kept its dividend at 5.6p per share.

The company said July trading activity had slowed down and was materially lower than 2019 levels.

Consequently it said its full-year guidance of low single-digit revenue growth remained unchanged.

'We will continue to monitor the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on TP ICAP and its customers through the remainder of the year,' TP ICAP said.

It added that a targeted investment spend guided to in March would be partially deferred amid uncertainty from the pandemic.

The company said it had grown its underlying earnings despite incurring a £10m charge due to an increase in unused annual leave as at 30 June.