Record financial performance
Operating income up 14.2% year‑on‑year; NPAT rose 16.7% to just over ZAR 1.07bn (first time >ZAR 1bn); HEPS ZAR 13.29, up 17.7% YoY; ROE improved to 22% from 20.2%.
Strong shareholder returns
Total dividend increased to ZAR 10.61 per share (ordinary ZAR 9.61 up 16% plus special ZAR 1.00), representing a 28.1% increase year‑on‑year; ordinary payout ratio ~78% and total payout ratio ~86%.
Material market activity and trading momentum
Average daily value traded (ADV) growth strongest since 2006–07: +32% for the full year, with Q3 ADV +41% and Q4 ADV +30%; billable equity value traded up 32% and equities value traded up 28% YoY; notable large‑cap share price gains (e.g., Sibanye +304%, AngloGold +240%).
Improved earnings quality and diversification
Non‑trading income now ~35% of operating income (up from ~29% earlier), supporting more durable revenue; multi‑year non‑trading nominal growth ~92%; operating leverage positive at 5.9% and EBITDA margin improved to 38.7% (+1.2ppt).
Stronger market positioning and foreign flows
Net foreign inflows ZAR 122bn vs ZAR 82bn prior year; non‑resident ownership increased to 32% from 29.3%; FTSE Emerging Market weighting rose to 4.29% from 3.16%; JSE ranked 18th largest by market cap (up from 20th).
Robust cash generation and balance sheet strength
Net cash generated ZAR 1.23bn (+12.3% YoY); cash and bonds balance ZAR 3.16bn (+12.7% YoY); cash conversion 1.64; low need for external financing and flexibility for dividends, CapEx and potential M&A/repurchases.
Operational resilience and reliability
Market availability 99.96% with only 3 Priority‑1 incidents during a year of elevated volumes and no equity market outage; cited as a core competitive asset.
Progress on major modernization programs (BDA) and AI adoption
BDA pilot completed ahead of schedule; ~2.2m lines of code modernized to date with no critical defects; full modernization and mass testing in 2026 with targeted production rollout in 2027. AI center of excellence and pilots (code translation/testing, listings automation, developer productivity tools) are underway to accelerate delivery and lower long‑term costs.
Segment‑level growth
Capital markets revenues +18% driven by trading and post‑trade; Post‑trade revenue +18% (clearing & settlement +34%); Information Services +10% (68% denominated in USD, benefiting from global data sales); derivatives and bond trading revenue growth (equity derivatives +14%, financial derivatives +15%).