Cohen & Steers(US:CNS)2025-07-18 15:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Earnings per share for Q2 was reported at $0.73, a decrease from $0.75 sequentially [5] - Revenue for Q2 increased by 1.1% from the prior quarter to $135 million [5] - Ending assets under management (AUM) rose to $88.9 billion from $87.6 billion in the previous quarter [6] - The effective fee rate remained stable at 59 basis points, while the operating margin decreased to 33.6% from 34.7% [6] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net inflows into open-end funds were positive for the last four consecutive quarters, although institutional net outflows offset these gains [7] - Total expenses increased by 2.9% compared to the prior quarter, driven by higher compensation and benefits [8] - Compensation ratio remained at 40.5%, consistent with previous guidance [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The second quarter saw 89% of AUM outperforming benchmarks, with 94% outperforming on a one-year basis [14] - Global equities and listed infrastructure outperformed U.S. equities, with global strategies showing stronger performance [30][31] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on launching active ETFs and expanding its wealth management channel, particularly in the independent RIA segment [49][50] - A new tactical listed and private real estate strategy was launched, aimed at integrating listed and private real estate allocations [24][42] - The company plans to continue investing in talent acquisition and data analysis to support growth initiatives [44] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the market environment has been resilient, with strong private sector balance sheets and liquidity [31] - The outlook for real estate is favorable, with valuations seen as attractive for new investors [19][22] - The company expects G&A expenses to increase by 7% to 8% for the full year 2025 compared to 2024 [11] Other Important Information - The company moved into a new Hong Kong office, completing its planned foreign office upgrades [12] - Liquidity at the end of Q2 was reported at $323 million, an increase from $295 million in the prior quarter [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the temperature of the wealth management channel? - The wealth channel is important, with progress in gaining allocations from sophisticated RIAs, although gross sales were about 10% lower than recent trends [48][49] Question: How are active ETFs performing? - Early results show good flows, with RIAs who only allocate to ETFs making allocations, indicating a positive start for the active ETFs [51][52] Question: What drove the outflows in global listed infrastructure? - Outflows were driven by institutional investors rebalancing their portfolios, although the strategy remains popular [55] Question: What is the demand for global real estate? - There has been stronger demand for global real estate, with more global allocators in the pipeline, although U.S. real estate remains the largest market [58][59] Question: Any geographical differences in advisory demand? - The U.S. remains the largest market, with growing activity in Asia, while Europe is slower and the Middle East has seen reduced activity [63]