BRM (BRM) / HY25

BRM NPAT halves to NZ$8.9m as operating cash swings NZ$24.7m lower

Portfolio income nearly halved and operating cash flow flipped to a NZ$14.8m outflow, yet the interim dividend was lifted 5.5% and payout more...

Release date
21 February 2025
Published
22 April 2026

What changed

Revenue fell 42.7% to NZ$11.3m and PBT fell 48.6% to NZ$9.2m, with NPAT down 47.5% to NZ$8.9m. The more striking move is below the P&L: net operating cash flow swung from a NZ$9.9m inflow to a NZ$14.8m outflow, a NZ$24.7m reversal. Despite that, the cash balance rose to NZ$14.4m (from NZ$10.5m), and total equity expanded 17.7% to NZ$248.3m, consistent with a listed investment company whose NAV-linked balance sheet moved largely through non-cash revaluations rather than through trading earnings. The interim dividend was raised 5.5% to 1.53 cps.

What matters

  • Earnings run-rate has reset lower. Annualised HY25 revenue of NZ$22.6m sits well below FY24's NZ$33.1m, and HY24 was the stronger half (59.4% of FY24 revenue, 60.6% of FY24 NPAT). Even allowing for second-half weighting in the prior year, the implied trajectory is materially softer.
  • Cash generation has detached from reported profit. A NZ$14.8m operating outflow against NZ$8.9m NPAT is a large divergence and calls into question how much of the "revenue" line is cash-backed dividend/interest income versus unrealised or timing-driven portfolio movements. Cash conversion deteriorated sharply.
  • Capital allocation has become more aggressive on a weaker base. The payout ratio versus NPAT jumped to 51.3% from 23.6%, and ROE fell to 7.7% from 16.0%. Raising the distribution while earnings and operating cash both contract is a deliberate capital-return choice, not one funded out of the current period's cash.

Expectations

No earnings guidance or forward-work disclosure is provided, so the release offers no direct target to measure against. On the available shape context, HY24 was clearly the heavier half of FY24, so a mechanical read-across to FY25 is unreliable. What the release does support is that the FY24 run-rate is not being matched: HY25 annualised revenue of NZ$22.6m is roughly two-thirds of FY24. What it does not support is any conclusion about second-half portfolio performance, which for this type of vehicle is driven by mark-to-market outcomes outside the filing's scope.

Quality of result

The quality of the HY25 result is weak on the measures available. PBT fell slightly more than NPAT (-48.6% vs -47.5%), so there is no tax tailwind flattering the headline — the effective tax rate did ease to 2.5% from 4.4%, but the gap is only 1.1pp and does not rescue the operating picture. More importantly, the NZ$24.7m deterioration in operating cash flow with no accompanying disclosure of capex, working-capital movements, or portfolio turnover means the reported NPAT is not visibly cash-backed this half. For an investment vehicle this typically reflects unrealised gain accounting and/or investment purchase timing, but the release as extracted does not decompose it. The dividend increase, against a 51.3% payout and a cash outflow from operations, is being funded from the existing cash pile and capital base rather than current-period cash earnings.

Unresolved

  • What share of the NZ$11.3m revenue is cash dividend/interest income versus unrealised portfolio revaluation?
  • What drove the NZ$24.7m swing in operating cash flow — investment purchases, working-capital movements, or reduced realised gains?
  • Given the step-up in payout ratio to 51.3%, is the new distribution level policy-anchored or opportunistic, and how is it funded if earnings stay at this level?
  • Why did total liabilities rise to NZ$1.6m from NZ$1.3m on an otherwise near-unlevered balance sheet?

This briefing cannot assess the underlying portfolio composition, realised-versus-unrealised split of income, or post-period NAV movements, none of which are present in the extracted data.

Key metrics

← Swipe to view more
Metric HY25 HY24 Change
Revenue $11.3m $19.7m -42.7% ↓
Net profit after tax $8940m $17027m -47.5% ↓
Net cash inflow from operating activities −$14.8m $9.9m -250.3% ↓
Interim dividend per share 1.5c 1.5c +5.5% ↑
Profit before tax $9171m $17820m -48.5% ↓
Cash and cash equivalents $14.4m $10.5m +36.3% ↑
Total assets $249.9m $212.3m +17.7% ↑

Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/brm-hy25

Analytical metrics

← Swipe to view more
Metric HY25 HY24 Context
PBT growth -48.6%
Effective tax rate 2.5% 4.4%
Trade debtors $0.1m
Payout ratio vs NPAT 51.3%
ROE (annualised) 7.7% 16.0% Weakening
HY24 share of FY24 revenue 59.4% Other half was 40.6%
HY24 share of FY24 NPAT 60.6% Other half was 39.4%
Profit from continuing operations $8940.0m $17.0m +$8923.0m

Reference: annolyse.ai/briefings/brm-hy25


This analysis was generated using Annolyse, an AI-powered tool that analyses NZX company announcements. The analysis is based on available company filings and standard Annolyse calculations. This is general information only and does not constitute financial advice. The analysis may contain errors. Always read the original company filings and consult a licensed financial adviser before making investment decisions.

Metric context

Trajectory before this result

A compact view of the company's recent revenue and margin path, derived from the same metrics history that powers the company page.

BRM revenue trajectory

Revenue context before the current result.

BRM EBITDA margin

Earnings margin across covered periods.

Appendix

Reference material

Company materials considered in this briefing.

Current period

BRM - Interim Financial Statements for period to 31 Dec 2024 including review report

HY25 / financial report

BRM- Preliminary half year announcement - 31 December 2024

HY25 / results release

Prior comparable period

BRM - Interim financial statements for period 31 Dec 23 incl review report

HY24 / financial report

BRM - Preliminary half year announcement - 31 Dec 2023

HY24 / results release

Full-year context

BRM - Financial Statements for year ended 30 June 2024 incl audit report

FY24 / financial report

BRM - Preliminary year end announcement - 30 June 2024

FY24 / results release

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