S&U chairman Anthony Coombs on strong half-year recovery

S&U PLC (LSE:SUS) chairman Anthony Coombs talked with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about the group’s strong half-year profit recovery and its outlook for the remainder of the year. Despite lower revenues, S&U has reported a marked improvement in performance, driven by lower impairments and robust results from its bridging finance arm, Aspen. Coombs explained that “we’ve got a very sensible redress scheme which will have very little effect upon S&U from the FCA,” adding that this stability has been reflected in trading. He said both of the company’s main businesses have shown strong collections, while Aspen has achieved record results thanks to rising demand from small UK developers and international property investors. He also noted that gearing has fallen from 103% to 75%, giving S&U a stronger balance sheet and positioning it for future growth. With a higher interim dividend of 35p per share, Coombs said the company’s policy remains focused on sustainable, well-covered distributions to shareholders. Looking ahead, Coombs said S&U remains “quietly confident” about the year ahead, supported by a more positive stance from both the government and the FCA. For more interviews and updates, visit Proactive’s YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like this video, subscribe, and enable notifications for future content. #S&UPLC #AnthonyCoombs #ProactiveInvestors #FinancialResults #UKFinance #AspenBridging #Dividends #InvestmentNews #LendingMarket #PropertyFinance #UKEconomy #StockMarketUpdates