Steadfast Group Limited

Steadfast Group Limited

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Q4 FY2026 · Earnings Call TranscriptAugust 26, 2026

Operator

Welcome to Steadfast 2026 full year results. Following the formal presentation, there will be a Q&A session for investors and analysts.

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I will now hand over to Robert Kelly.

Robert Kelly

Thanks very much, David, and welcome, everybody, to the call. I'll get straight into it.

If you go to page 4, it's just basically our graphs that demonstrate our performance base since 2014. I just ask you to read the graphs from left to right, not from right to left, okay?

We're proud of those graphs, and I won't bore you by going through them from top to bottom. If you go to page 5, I think this is the brief page of where we're actually at and where we look like from that point of view.

It just proves our resilience and that how through funny periods of time where the premium cycle goes up and down, we can adapt our bit of business model to provide results. The statutory NPAT of $269.1, underlying NPAT up 8.2% to $319.5, underlying diluted EPS NPAT up 7.7% at 28.8, and the underlying diluted EPS NPATA is up 6.7% to 33 CPS.

Underlying NPATA of up 7.1% of $366.3 and underlying EBITA stat of $669.8. If you then go to page 6, which is probably the most interesting part, but refers to the bid and the scheme implementation deed.

As you are aware, Steadfast has entered into with Amwins and Dragoneer and KKR to acquire all of the issued shares in Steadfast pursuant to a scheme of arrangement for cash consideration of $6 per share, less any amount of any permitted dividends paid per Steadfast also permitted to pay dividends to Steadfast shareholders comprising an ordinary final dividend in respect to FY26 and a special dividend prior to the scheme implementation of an aggregate amount of 20 cents per share. Scheme consideration represents 51.9% premium to the Steadfast undisturbed closing share price of $3.95 on the 9th of June 2026.

The Steadfast board has unanimously recommend that the Steadfast shareholders vote in favor of the scheme, in the absence of a superior proposal and subject to the independent expert concluding and continuing to conclude in the independent expert's report that the scheme is in the best interests of Steadfast shareholders. The implementation of the scheme is subject to various customary conditions, including the approval of Steadfast shareholders and regulatory approvals from a range of people, from the Foreign Investment Review Board, the Australian Competition Consumer Commission, New Zealand Overseas Investment Office, the UK Financial Conduct Authority, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Subject to Steadfast shareholders approving the scheme and other conditions being satisfied or, if applicable, waived, Steadfast is currently targeting the implementation of the scheme to be in December 2026. Steadfast shareholders do not need to do anything or take any action at this present time.

Turning to page 7, this gives us an indication of the premium rate cycle. It diagrammatically shows you the way the industry has gone from actually Q3 to Q4 of FY26.

As you can see, there's been a downhill slide, and over the past 2 years, that slide has gained more momentum. In particularly, we saw a softening at the FY26 close in June, which was the lowest period-to-period amount that we had seen over the prior 2 years.

If you go to page 8, this is the final dividend that we will pay. The FY26 total FY26 dividend will be 20.95 cents fully franked, up from 19.5 for '25, or in other words, 7.4% up from last year.

A final '26 dividend of 12.75 cents shares fully franked will be up from 11.7, or 9%. The dividend reinvestment plan will not apply for FY26 because of the uncertainty of the scheme that scheme places over the top of that.

There are the ex-div dates and the dividend dates. On the right, the graphs demonstrate to you clearly the growth of the shares from our start in 2014 and the financial year 2014.

Going to page 10, this is the analysis of the Steadfast Broking Australasian Network. We've had sustained growth, and with further broker acquisitions have increased our bottom line.

The financial highlight for '26 is pretty simple. The broking network grew 6.2% to $13.2 billion, and our professional services fees grew up 2.5% to $7.1 billion, or 2%.

In other words, GWP up organic growth up for the broker network 2.4, organic growth up for the AR network of 3.7, and new brokers up 0.1, giving us a total uplift of 6.2% in our GWP. The graphs are really interesting if you have a look at the graphs on the left and you go back to '21.

During the period from '21 through to '26, we had actually had initially PSC not being included in our GWP, and all of these figures are normalized in the current year for those leaving, and also the AMP group leaving. If you look at what our turnover was back in those days, it was two two fairly substantial groups within our group that no longer are in.

Our growth is incredibly incredibly powerful considering that they've got out of it. Operational highlights, we completed three equity holdings, 31 step-ups, 10 step-downs, and 31 bolt-ons.

We now have equity interests in 62 of the businesses in the network, which is over 50% of the GWP that the network sells. In terms to insurtech, and David Gillespie, our CTO, will give you a further update a little bit later, our broker network has a great group of platforms and insurtech that gives them a great sustainable advantage.

There are now 268 brokers live on our INSIGHT broking program with over 8,000 users, and we have 12,500 users participating in the client trading platform across Australia and New Zealand. I turn you now to page 11.

The solid underlying earnings growth of 13.2% on the Australian insurance broking network is highlighted, I guess, by the net revenue going up by 1.4% at the time when the whole market has shrunk down, pleasingly, that our EBITA was up by 13.2%. Organic growth of EBITA was 2.7, and organic growth due to the softness of the market was 1.4% on the brokers.

Overall, what that means is that we have an EBITA growth of 10.5% and acquisitions growth of 18.9%. FY2026 shows that we have 83% of the EBITA in Steadfast comes from our equity brokers, as opposed to 80% here before.

The waterfall charts across there show what we did last year, what we did this year, our organic growth, our acquisition growth, and then it points out Rothbury, which is one of the major players in the New Zealand market and a step-up that we made in that business. In including the solid EBITA growth of 13.2% is this is a result of a really tremendous, I guess, diligence in our step-ups and bolt-ons that we've been able to do, and I guess our focus is to maintain a sustainable margin improvement, brought through the execution of the brokers' hubbing strategy, which has worked extremely well.

We continue to do that, and we've done that in the underwriting agencies as well, and also our ability to enhance operational efficiency, and the disciplined uplift that brokers have been able to achieve during a soft market in their fee structure, which started last year and I think has been continued on, and I think brokers are seeing the fulfillment of that coming in this current 12 months. Enhanced subsidiary oversight on our behalf and governance through a dedicated data analytics program has enabled us to be proactive in monitoring our renewal retention, our new business performance, and of course, that allows a sustainable earnings performance to take place.

If I then take you over to page 13, this is the underwriting agencies. An interesting to be able to say to you that we rose 2.3% in GWP at a time when the market is at the softest that I've seen, I think, in probably 30 years.

It shows the sustainability of our underwriting agencies is incredibly robust. If you look at the pie chart there, you can see their growth over there.

GWP rose to $2.5 from $2.4, plus we had this one sell-down, we took some GWP out of it. Total organic growth was 2.3%.

Highlights being the launch of Castle by Shore Insurance, which gives us a national home product, and then the increase of some new products for CHU, and a mecon Emergency and COAST, and the launch of Unity Trade Credit from our trade credit broker. Successful completion also of consolidation process with the four consumer agencies combining to create one, one one agency under Prevail, and nine individual small-to-medium commercial agencies merging into one brand under Miramar.

This gives us a great solid pathway for this consolidation to reduce costs in operating, and also puts efficiency into some of the AI that we're putting through our businesses. By supporting this growth through the mid-size agencies via acquisition and product differentiation, we grow.

Investment in automation continues. David will talk further about that, David Gillespie, and resulting efficiencies through the underwriting agency e-tech platform, which we are working on and continually moving.

You'll see a lot of the work we're doing on the underwriting platforms in the agencies have to go to P&L, they can't be capitalized, but are very effective in increasing the efficiency of those businesses. Of course, we maintain strong carrier relationships, long-term relationships.

We focus on refining all of what we do, including our footprint in London, and the Steadfast Underwriting Agencies consortium and the binding arrangements which we put into place last year in London increased revenue for us and in our commission structure. Go to page 14, this is the underwriting agencies again showing EBITA increase of 5.2% and net revenue increase of 5%.

That's pretty pleasing to be able to keep those two in line, because sometimes that's not easy to do. Organic growth of 4.6% on income and 5.3% on EBITA.

You'll see the impact of the disposal. We sold Stirling off a point which impacted that 0.1%.

I guess underlying EBITA of $260 is plus 5.2%. You can see from the bar charts there how we've lifted from over 2 years.

You've got the organic and the very little acquisition growth there, and so most of it's in organic. We have maintained our underwriting discipline, all of our binders are strong and well-renewed, our retention rate is what we target, and we've been able, as you can see, maintain our GWP and increase it during a very difficult time.

Revenue growth exceeds GWP growth, which is always always exciting. That's probably highlighted by the fact that we've been able to combine agencies and increase efficiency with some smart software that we've been using.

Additionally, investment in underwriting agencies and claim systems which we continue to roll out in FY27, ably by Susan Donaldson, who's heading up our claims. Pardon me.

I'll just get a drink. Okay.

Also, our actual equity ownership in FY26 is 88%, we own a very large majority of our underwriting agencies. Now, I'll take a breather and refer you to page 16 and hand you over to Sam Hollman, our CEO of International.

Sam Hollman

Thank you, Robert. FY26 saw the core pillars of Steadfast International in place, with focus moving to scaling our operation, further developing our product capabilities, and diversifying our earnings base, both geographically and qualitatively.

I'd like to share with you some of the FY26 operational highlights for a number of our international businesses, the first being ISU Steadfast, which is our broker network in the US. It exceeded FY26 budgeted EBITDA.

We achieved a record number of new members, with 38 new members, 21 net of terminations, and we also introduced two new membership tiers in this financial year, which provides a new opportunity for us to grow membership and create scale. We also enhanced strategic carrier relationships, achieving profit share growth of 15%, and we launched and drove participation in Novum and HWS specialty solutions, which are our businesses within our international family.

We completed also the first two trapped capital equity investments in members. These members are held at the Steadfast level and replicate what we've done in Australasia.

The technology has been implemented to drive business forward with data insights, and we look forward to being able to see what that can bring. HWS, I'll move on to, they're our specialist wholesale broker in London.

They also exceeded FY26 budgeted EBITDA. FY26 saw significant progress diversifying the business into new and expanded specialties through strategic recruitment.

This was to cater to our global network requirements. This has established a strong foundation for future growth and profitability, and we also experienced strong new business wins in marine, and we also focused on organic growth of our existing specialty products.

If I move to Novum, who we only acquired in August 2025, they are our specialist MGA in the US. Since then, we've acquired an additional 4.25% of Novum in May 2026 on the original deal terms.

They have had very strong financial performance in the 10 months post-completion, with 60%-plus organic growth in GWP and revenue in FY26. We've scaled existing programs and established new programs, and as a result of that, we've expanded our capacity relationships.

We've encouraged engagement with ISU Steadfast with a focus on attracting flow and building strategic alignment, and that was really only done in April this year at ISU Steadfast annual conference. In that time, there's been 1,000-plus policy submissions from ISU Steadfast members into Novum.

We've also seen the recruitment of new talent to support the rapid growth of that organization, and we've also expanded their technology platform, Novum Online, with capabilities and solutions, which is implementing a lot of automation into the business and underwriting processes. I'd just like to call you out to the right-hand side of this slide with the gray boxes.

This is a little bit of a brag sheet that the international team and Steadfast are very proud of, and it's just how those three businesses are performing since we acquired them all. If I can only call out one metric of each, which is all to do with financial, ISU Steadfast since acquisition, 96% organic growth in EBITDA; HWS, 1.5 years in, 34% organic growth in revenue; and Novum, 10 months in, 60% organic growth in GWP and revenue.

It shows we have a great track record of acquisitions to date, all businesses are performing well, and capital has been spent well. Can I please turn the page to the next one?

I will move on to the financial highlights. The financials demonstrate continued strength of Steadfast International.

We delivered underlying EBITDA of $29.8 million, growth of $23.9 million over the prior corresponding period. Strong organic performance was driven mainly by growth in ISU Steadfast profit sharing and network membership fees, and also growth in HWS specialty after the first 12 months post-acquisition.

Acquisition growth has also been driven by the organic growth of HWS specialty with new business wins in marine division, an exceptional first 10 months contribution from Novum at 60% year-on-year in GWP and revenue, and also two minority investments in ISU Steadfast network agencies in the second half of FY26. These results reflect the high-quality earnings as well as our disciplined approach to scaling the businesses.

Thank you, and I'll now hand over to David Gillespie, our CTO of Technologies.

David Gillespie

Thanks, Sam. Today, I'm going to focus on the insurtech part of Steadfast Technologies, but I do want to call out all of the technology team for what they are doing to improve how we operate across all of the Steadfast Group.

That includes the consolidation launch for the Miramar and Prevail agencies, as well as the new underwriting platforms, the office moves, and new workplace technology we've implemented to improve productivity, and the significant uplift we've undertaken within the cyber area, where, for example, we've deployed new AI tools to both protect our perimeter and our applications, even when that comes from third or fourth party software. AI continues to be a key theme, and we've a very targeted approach to how we deploy.

We've not taken a scattergun approach, but I'm equally excited about how it's transforming how we operate in the Steadfast network, and I will touch on some of its uses in the organization. As I mentioned at the last results call, we've had our AI policy and governance forum in place since the end of last year.

At the start of the year, we talked about one platform and the program of deliveries we had in the roadmap to modernize our platform and improve the broker experience and capability, and I'm really pleased to report the team have delivered what we committed to. Sometimes deliveries which in themselves don't seem that important or critical, but are crucial building blocks, and the first two deliveries fall into that category.

Steadfast ID significantly uplifted our security posture with multi-factor authentication, which provides better protection and will enable us and our brokers to better manage identities, but it also simplified how our brokers and partners across our various applications access across our various applications. That went live in April with no issues, and that in itself is a testament to the rigorous approach we take at Steadfast to releasing quality capability, including significant change management activities across a large number of users.

Similarly, with our product insurer configurator engine, SPICE, it enables us to more quickly extend our product offerings, including in the future for single lines of business, but it has also future-proofed us as our insurance and agency partners move on to modern platforms. We work extensively to develop joint roadmaps with all of the major insurers, and as they move on to new platforms with more modern API integrations, we are ready to integrate with them.

This includes an AI mapping agent to further speed that process up. As Robert mentioned recently, we are currently in testing with Allianz in implementing their farm product for pilot in November, with full rollout early next year.

With Steadfast Intelligence, we already have, I believe, the leading data platform in the market, which is used to provide insights for Steadfast, our brokers, and our insurance partners. We have now deployed Cortex, a conversational AI capability built out an underlying semantic layer and deployed two targeted AI agents, one for broker analysis and one for insurer analysis.

These are enabling our analysts to get data insights 5 to 10 times faster than previously, and has identified opportunities for improvement across the broker network that we had not considered previously. We flipped the historical paradigm of it taking 80% to 90% of time to get the data and only 10% to 20% analyzing for insights to now spending 80% to 90% looking for insights.

In addition, the data team have created a federated, multi-tenanted data platform called GardenONE that can provide agencies and brokers access to their data within a powerful analytics platform without the need for them to invest in a separate platform. The first broker group is going live this Monday.

Lastly, but most definitely not least, is Steadfast Apps, which is replacing our industry-leading INSIGHT platform. That went live on Monday for seven pilot brokerages across Australia and New Zealand, with full release to all other brokers on the 7th of September.

Let me explain a little bit more about that on page 20. With Steadfast Apps, we are bringing together the capability of multiple applications into one fearful application, and hence eliminating the fragmentation of applications, processes, and data, and improving efficiency whilst also saving brokers license fees in having multiple applications.

As you can see, it is optimized for mobile. Moving to page 21, we have a conveyor belt of new broker functionality in the pipeline, which will be delivered in quarterly releases so we can manage the change impact for our brokers.

What you see here is just a subset of the improvements we will be making. Each release follows a human- or broker-centered design process, and over 30 brokers have been engaged through the design, prototype, build, and test phases to make sure we deliver the functionality that meets their needs.

In this release, all brokers who currently use INSIGHT will transition seamlessly to Steadfast Apps, with no data migration required. This activation has been designed as a stepping stone to the changes that are planned to come.

Each user will have a dashboard of widgets showing information that is pertinent to them. For example, open tasks, policies due for renewal, open claims, etc.

Strangely enough, one of the biggest requests has been for both light and dark mode, which we have accommodated, as you can see. The AI-powered schedule formatter was one of the top requests from brokers, and is a great example of how we are using InsurBot, who we acquired last year, as an incubator for new functionality.

They've had brokers using this functionality almost 5,000 times since June, so that in itself gives us great insights as we integrate into Steadfast Apps with this release. In the next release before the end of the year, we will enable brokers with a unified client relationship management system, document management, and automation capabilities that simplifies day-to-day servicing and improves data quality.

You can see in the bottom right those designs have been completed, and we are now in prototype testing with users before development starts. Then next year, we will enable risk quotes to ensure full insurance coverage for clients, streamline quote to invoice experience, uplifting SCTP, driving reduced handoffs, rekeying, and time taken to move from quote to bind, all designed to make our brokers more efficient.

It's been great to see Steadfast Apps come to life, but from my perspective, it has been equally pleasing to see how we are powering those changes. We've implemented an AI development framework to enable us to build more, faster, and with fewer resources than we planned.

That framework enables agentic agents, for example, for project management, design, analysis, and in the last month, one to fix defects in testing. It picks up the defect ticket, recreates the defect, fixes it, and sends it on for approval for retest.

On our underlying platform, we've again been using AI to optimize it. We're treating this similar to the upgrades that happen in Formula 1 cars.

Our first package has given us a 40% improvement in performance, and we've two more scheduled in the next 4 weeks. That will not only make the website more performant, but means we use less processing power so we can reduce the cost of the platform as well.

As I said, it's been an exciting year with much more to come. I'll now hand over to Hannah for the detailed financials.

Hannah Lee

Thank you, David. Can we turn on to the next slide?

I'm pleased to report that Steadfast delivered a solid underlying earnings growth in FY26. Revenue increased 15.3% to $2.1 billion, while underlying EBITA increased 13.8% to $669.8 million.

Underlying NPAT increased 8.2% to $319.5 million, translating to diluted earnings per share of 28.8 cents, up 7.7%. Underlying NPATA was $366.3 million, an increase of 7.1%.

The result reflects a combination of organic growth and contributions from acquisitions. Our underlying agencies continue to deliver strong organic growth supported by disciplined underwriting, active retention, targeted new business, and effective expense management.

In broking, acquisitions made a strong contribution and helped offset comparably moderate organic GWP growth. Across the group, we also maintained a strong focus on cost discipline and operational efficiency.

Stat NPAT was $269.1 million compared with $334.9 million in prior year. The year-on-year comparison was impacted by a material accounting gain recognized in FY25 in relation to the Rothbury step-up acquisition.

Turning to the next slide, this slide sets out the key drivers of the 13.8% increase in underlying EBITA. Organic growth contributed $29.5 million, representing 5% growth on prior year.

Acquisitions completed during the period contributed a further $25.7 million, while increased ownership interests in existing businesses excluding Rothbury contributed $1.8 million. The increase in Steadfast ownership interest in Rothbury contributed approximately $24 million to underlying EBITA.

This reflects the accounting treatment where 100% of Rothbury's EBITA is consolidated into the group's results, with the proportion attributable to NCI recognized below the EBITA line, consistent with group's half year disclosures. As a result, EBITA included 100% of Rothbury's earnings, while NPAT reflects Steadfast effective ownership interest, circa 68%.

Taken together, these movements increased underlying EBITA by $81 million to $669.8 million. Turning now to next slide, moving from EBITA to NPAT, underlying NPAT increased by $24 million, representing 8.2% on prior year to $319.5 million.

Organic growth contributed approximately $16.8 million, while acquisitions contributed $18.7 million. Increased ownership interests added a further $2.1 million, primarily reflecting businesses that transitioned from associate to subsidiaries during the year.

These benefits were partly offset by approximately $13.6 million of additional financing and amortization expense associated with acquisition activities. This explains the difference between 13.8% growth in EBITA and 8.2% growth in NPAT for the year.

From a capital allocation perspective, we assess acquisitions based on their contribution after financing costs, amortization expense, and NCI, not simply on the headline EBITA. On that basis, acquisitions delivered a positive net NPAT contribution, while organic earnings remained an important driver for shareholder returns.

Turning to the statutory balance sheet, Steadfast finished the year with a sound balance sheet and appropriate liquidity. At 30 June, the group held $470 million of cash.

Total current assets were $3.1 billion compared to the current liabilities of $2.1 billion, and net assets were $2.6 billion. Total gearing was 36% with $138.8 million of undrawn committed bank facilities.

The group's corporate debt facilities were $1.37 billion with maturities well diversified between May 2028 and June 2032. Subsequent to year-end, we entered into additional $100 million of bilateral facilities, increasing our committed facilities to $1.47 billion and providing $240 million of funding flexibility.

Turning to the next slide, finally, the group continued to demonstrate stable cash conversion. Pre-tax operating cash flow excluding movements in trust accounts and premium funding increased to $408.6 million, up from $373.7 million last year.

This exceeded underlying NPATA of $366.3 million, highlighting the group's ability to consistently convert earnings into cash. After dividends to shareholders, net of DRP, and distributions to NCI, free cash flow increased to $166.6 million compared to $124.9 million in FY25.

This further strengthened the group's funding flexibility and capacity to support future growth. Overall, the group's stable cash generation continues to support shareholder returns while providing capacity to fund ongoing working capital requirements.

Before concluding, I would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of our subsidiaries, associates, joint ventures, and network brokers. Their hard work, commitment, and focus on delivering for clients have instrumental in achieving our group solid FY26 results.

Thank you. Now hand back to Robert to discuss our FY27 outlook.

Thank you.

Robert Kelly

Thanks. Thanks, Hannah.

It's great. Page 29, this is an interesting page, but this page is our business as usual, okay?

I guess would alter dramatically if the scheme completes, but it's important that you you leave this meeting today understanding that we are running the business as if the business is going to continue in perpetuity for the rest of its life. Obviously, if the if the scheme completes, then the whole dynamics of the business will alter.

We'll continue to execute on our growth strategy for both organic and acquisition growth. I guess we'll drive the subsidiary performance metrics that we've been putting in place to improve earnings quality, drive margin expansion.

We will recognize the operational efficiencies that we can get through various targeted revenue initiatives, and also the strategic hubbing, and and and not to downplay what David spoke about in terms of our our agentic use of software in in in Steadfast Apps and the applications that that will do in terms of producing time to do things. That will be amazing over the next 12 months, 18 months.

We'll maintain our capital discipline, because that's crucial, and we've done that we have done that since August 2013, pursue value-accretive acquisitions, and generate substantial shareholder returns. We've managed to we've managed to average out a much a much higher return to our shareholders than was envisaged when we floated the business, and and will continue to do that.

Sam's team have done an incredible job in the US. We'll continue the US expansion in in the way we have at the moment, with with expanding trapped capital over there very selectively, small steps at a time, and making sure that we do and build that network as the same way as we've built Australia and New Zealand and other places.

We'll leverage the technology, as I alluded to, and will enhance our operating efficiencies to drive margin across the whole group, and will deliver innovative AI-enabled solutions. The the the AI revolution started in Steadfast 6 years ago.

It it makes me actually laugh when I consider where people jump up and say this has happened. We've been working on it for 6 years, and and and and implementing insurtech pipelines for AI.

Steadfast Apps accelerated that, and will be and and the brokers that are using it as they've put out are absolutely astounded by its efficiency that it creates. We'll foster the values, led by led by a culture of leadership, where all people are engaged, empowered, supported to do their best.

Steadfast is an organization that that believes people people support one another and work work alongside one another, not have the top of one another dictating down. We want we want talent to come and and and grow through the organization and never be held back.

Also, I guess, finally, Steadfast performance through risk management and compliance and governance will continue to keep doing it and continue to to go forward with this business. Page 30 is is is a interesting There's our our guidance for '27.

NPATA, $382 to $392; underlying NPAT, $333 to $343; and then underlying EBITA, $700 to $715; and and then you can see it between 4% and 8% for diluted EPS and diluted NPAT growth. We'll we'll need to get probably 2% to 3% increase in pricing.

We're fairly confident of doing that. We think we're in the bottom of the of the barrel at this particular time, with and that's that slide we showed you before.

That's how that how you can go downhill and how you can go uphill with that. Probably, refer you to the key key risks in our 2026 annual report, page 74 and 77.

That will conclude mine, David. I'll hand back to you at this particular time.

Operator

Thanks, Robert. If you have not yet submitted your text question or joined the live audio queue, please do so now.

Please note that each caller will be allowed two questions at a time. If you have a follow-up question, please rejoin the queue.

I will introduce each caller by name and ask you to go ahead. You will then hear a beep indicating your microphone is live.

Our first caller today comes from Andrew Buncombe from Macquarie. Andrew, please go ahead after the beep.

Andrew Buncombe

Hi, team. Congratulations on the results.

Just one from me, please. In terms of the proposed takeover where the dividends have been capped at 20 cents per share, based off the annual report that we've seen today, it does appear that there's quite a bit of franking credits or franking balance left.

Can you just walk us through why that's not being returned to, I suppose, listed shareholders, particularly in the context of the recent CGT changes? Thanks.

Robert Kelly

Andrew, the franking credits, we'll use, Hana, we'll use what, $225 million of them, I think? Under the dividend payment for the franking credits.

Hannah Lee

Andrew, management considers it's prudent to retain sufficient working capital to support ongoing operation and corporate activities. Accordingly, the pro forma special dividend has been calibrated to cover roughly 4 to 6 months period, while we're still maintaining a meaningful return to the shareholders, but we ultimately have a healthy working capital position for the group.

Robert Kelly

Also, we've got to be cognizant of the fact that you can't borrow money. We make sure that our capital is used correctly, and with the amount of capital that we can put into this allows us to keep running the business and not ever put ourselves at any risk of having anybody look at us that we may be borrowing to pay the dividend.

Andrew Buncombe

Understood, and congratulations again on everything that you and the team have built over the years. Thanks.

Robert Kelly

Thanks, Andrew.

Hannah Lee

Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. As a reminder, to ask a text question, please select the messaging icon, type your question in the box towards the top of the screen, and press the send button.

To ask a live audio question, please press the request to speak button at the top of the broadcast window. Follow the instructions on screen to join the queue.

I will just pause there to allow time to join the queue. Our next question is a text question from Rod Carrot from Steadfast NSG Group.

Rod asks, "When will the special dividend be announced and paid?"

Robert Kelly

I guess the special dividend will come into play

David Gillespie

Be disclosed when the scheme booklet is lodged.

Robert Kelly

When the scheme booklet gets out. Time-wise, maybe

David Gillespie

We're hoping early October.

Robert Kelly

Early October.

David Gillespie

Early October, I think, Rod.

Operator

Thank you. The next question is also a text question, comes from Sidharth Parameswaran from JPMorgan.

Sidharth asks, "Can you help us understand whether any acquisitions are included in the FY27 guidance?"

Robert Kelly

Yes, there is some. About 100.

If you're looking for a figure, Sid, about $100 million.

Operator

Thank you. Our next question is from Shreyas Patel from UBS.

Shreyas asks, "What gives you confidence that premium rates will improve to 2% to 3% versus the 4Q exit of 1%? What are you seeing in July/August?"

Robert Kelly

Shreyas, one swallow does not make a spring. One month where it drops below everything else doesn't say that Armageddon's going to fall and that the rest of them 12 months are going to be the same.

What makes me so sure of that? I guess my 58th year I enter insurance now, and I've been watching these cycles go through.

For the last 14 years, I've given figures about where I saw the market would land and what the prices would go up and down, and I've been right, I think, 98% of the time. My feeling is we're at the bottom of the cycle.

My feeling is that there was a lot of competition for June, and some insurers made some silly mistakes about how they were going to price their product and there was a overreaction to losing business. Renewal premiums were slashed by the insurers.

I don't believe that is going to be going on, and I don't think that will continue. We saw an uplift in July, worth last year, we saw a big drop in July, remember, from the June '25, July '26.

There was about a 3% differential between the two, I'm pretty confident that the 2% to 3% will run through.

Operator

Thank you. A follow-up question from Shreyas Patel.

Shreyas asks, "Looks like a strong second half strata result. Can you talk to some of the market dynamics, given your competitors are suggesting CHU is irrationally undercutting the market to pick up share?"

Robert Kelly

That's an erroneous, stupid statement for anybody to make. Anybody who makes a statement like that doesn't understand the strata market, has no understanding of the competitive nature of it, and no understanding about who's actually creating the price drops.

My answer to that is that is not true.

Operator

Thank you. There are no further questions.

I will now hand back to you, Robert.

Robert Kelly

Okay. Thank you, everybody.

I know we've been concise today, a bit more concise than what we've been in the past, but we're in an interesting stage of this com[unclear] Thank you for coming and joining us today.

Operator

That concludes today's call. Thank you for joining.