Release Date: April 17, 2025
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Cohen & Steers Inc (CNS, Financial) reported a third consecutive quarter of net inflows, with $222 million in net inflows firm-wide.
- The company's global listed infrastructure strategy experienced strong flows, with $586 million of net inflows.
- Cohen & Steers Inc (CNS) launched its first three active ETFs, which have begun to see inflows, particularly in the Natural Resource equities ETF.
- The company's open-end funds have been rated 4 or 5 stars by Morningstar, with 92% of AUM achieving this rating.
- Cohen & Steers Inc (CNS) has a strong balance sheet, providing stability and the ability to capitalize on market dislocations.
Negative Points
- Cohen & Steers Inc (CNS) reported a decrease in earnings per share to $0.75 from $0.78 sequentially.
- Revenue for Q1 decreased to $133.8 million, driven by lower average AUM and lower dayco compared to the prior quarter.
- The company's operating margin decreased to 34.7% from 35.5% in the prior quarter.
- The institutional advisory unfunded pipeline declined significantly to $61 million from $531 million last quarter.
- Cohen & Steers Inc (CNS) experienced outflows in preferred stock strategies, which was unexpected given their strong performance.
Q & A Highlights
Q: Can you provide more color on the wealth management channel and the current trends in April, particularly regarding flows and redemption trends?
A: Joe Harvey, CEO: The market volatility post-quarter has created uncertainty, slowing decision-making. However, there's interest in U.S. real estate as investors anticipate the bottoming of the commercial real estate cycle. Additionally, listed infrastructure is gaining interest due to its less economic sensitivity. Surprisingly, there have been outflows in preferred stock strategies, possibly due to past regional banking crises and more fixed income choices. Despite this, our preferred portfolios have performed well.
Q: What are the second-order impacts of tariffs on your strategy areas, particularly listed real infrastructure?
A: John Chay, President and CIO: The impacts are more indirect, affecting economic growth, interest rates, and inflation. We expect slower economic growth and higher inflation. Infrastructure stands out as a stagflationary strategy, remaining positive despite market conditions. Natural resource equities may face more cyclical impacts, while real estate and infrastructure are less affected.
Q: Is there a difference in selling active ETFs versus open-end funds, and what are your expectations for flow levels?
A: Joe Harvey, CEO: The sales process involves educating advisors on asset classes and portfolio enhancement. Initial investors in ETFs are primarily RIAs, unlike wirehouses. The strategy focuses on core allocations rather than thematic approaches. While it's early, we've seen interest from RIAs who exclusively use ETFs, validating our launch. We expect some swapping from open-end funds to ETFs, but it's too early to quantify flow levels.
Q: Regarding your pipeline, do you think this quarter's low level is an anomaly, or could it persist?
A: Joe Harvey, CEO: We have good activity levels, but need to convert them into mandates. Historically, our pipeline has been strong, and we're focused on driving it. The institutional market has faced portfolio stresses due to high private allocations and interest rate changes, but we believe we're moving past this phase. We see a positive future for real asset allocations and are working to make it happen.
Q: Could you elaborate on your plans for innovation and potential dislocation opportunities?
A: Joe Harvey, CEO: Innovation could involve a second round of ETFs or inorganic growth. We're exploring strategies for future growth, considering partnerships or acquisitions, especially as more small asset managers seek access to the wealth channel. Our strong market position in wealth is well-known, and we're open to opportunities that align with our criteria.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
