The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 December 2025.
The financial highlights of the year were as follows:
Revenue decreased from £2.670m to £2.653m, a decrease of £0.017m (0.64%).
The majority of the revenue is recurring which enhances the company’s stability.
The directors continue to consider that the key performance indicators are those that communicate the financial performance and strength of the company as a whole, namely the total funds under management, the operating profit and shareholders' funds.
The total funds under management at the year-end were £744m (2024: £677m).
Operating profit for the year was £1,460k (2024: £853k).
Shareholders’ funds of £2.999m (2024: £1.872m) exceeds the capital requirements of the Financial Conduct Authority.
There were no identified instances of non compliance with Financial Conduct Authority regulations and no customer complaints, directly or through external channels, to the company or its appointed representatives in the year.
The activities of the company expose it to a variety of risks, both financial and operational. Those which have a material impact on the company are as follows:
Credit risk
The company neither holds client money nor assets nor lends money. The exposure to credit risk is therefore the risk that:
investment management fees cannot be collected,
clients do not pay their fees,
commissions / fees are not paid by providers, and
banks, where the revenue is deposited, fail.
The credit risk is low as all cash is held with banks assigned high credit ratings. Amounts due from clients and providers are closely monitored and reviewed to assess their recoverability. Provisions are made if recoverability is in doubt.
Market risk
The company is exposed to market risk to the degree that a downturn in the market will usually lead to decreased revenues. These risks are unavoidable in the context of a largely percentage-based fee structure with clients. The risk is mitigated by Greystone’s excellent and long-standing relationship with many clients and the stability that this brings to revenues.
Operational risk
Our business is reliant upon financial, accounting and technology systems and networks to process, transmit and store information, including sensitive client and proprietary information, and to conduct many business activities and transactions with clients, advisers, vendors and other third parties. Failure to implement, maintain and safeguard an appropriate infrastructure could adversely impact our operations. Our back-up procedures, cyber-defenses and compliance with data privacy laws (“GDPR”) are regularly monitored and updated to manage this risk.
Performance risk
The company may under-perform against its chosen benchmarks. To mitigate this risk, performance in all areas of the business is monitored on a regular basis, allowing remedial action to be taken where necessary.
Regulatory risk
The company requires FCA approval to undertake its financial services business. A breach of the FCA’s rules might lead to the withdrawal of this approval. The company continues to mitigate this risk by way of an experienced and dedicated compliance and risk team.
Financial risk management policy
The company has very strong financial controls in place to mitigate any financial risk on the running of the business. These financial controls are continuously reviewed and updated where appropriate.
With the entry of the Trump administration in the United States the world economic outlook appears to be more uncertain than ever. It remains to be seen whether or not a so called trade war with China ensues, as well as, to a lesser extent, the EU. The situation is very volatile and changes almost on a daily basis.
Bond yields remain elevated in the UK (and the US) putting considerable strain on government borrowing, and the tax measures introduced by The Chancellor have yet to be fully felt within the economy but clearly will be a brake on economic growth. The outlook for the UK is generally less than optimistic.
We remain well diversified within the Greystone Funds and the Greystone Discretionary Model Portfolios. We have trimmed our US exposure by way of taking some profit off the table, however we do not believe that the economic environment is such that a strong view of outcomes can be predicted with any confidence. With that in mind, much as we did in the previous year, we have sought to construct the portfolios in a way which allows us to take advantage of any likely scenarios. All of our funds have produced positive returns despite market volatility, attesting to the prudence of that approach.
The board of directors of Foundation Investment Management Limited considers, both individually and together, that they have acted in the way they consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole (having regard to the stakeholders and matters set out in s172(1)(a)-(f) of the Act) in the decisions taken during the period ended 31 December 2025.
Our strategy is designed to have a long-term beneficial impact on the company and to contribute to its success.
Our team members are fundamental to the delivery of our plan. The health, safety and well-being of our team members is one of our primary considerations in the way we do business.
Engagement with suppliers and customers is key to our success.
Our strategy takes into account the impact of the company's operations on the community and environment and our wider social responsibilities.
As the board of directors, our intention is to behave responsibly and ensure that the management operate the business in a responsible manner, operating within the high standards of business conduct and good governance expected for a business such as ours.
As the board of directors, our intention is to behave responsibly towards our shareholders and treat them fairly and equally, so they may to may benefit from the successful delivery of our strategy.
On behalf of the board
The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.
The results for the year are set out on page 8.
No ordinary dividends were paid. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.
The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:
The auditor, JS. Audit Limited, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law, the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
We have audited the financial statements of Foundation Investment Management Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 December 2025 which comprise the statement of income and retained earnings, the balance sheet and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Basis for opinion
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
Irregularities and fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities including fraud is detailed below.
Based on our understanding of the company and sector, we identified that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to, but was not limited to, the Companies Act 2006, UK tax legislation and Financial Conduct Authority regulations and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006 and FRS 102.
We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls) and determined that the principal risks were related to the risk of fraudulent revenue recognition.
Our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:
reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements;
enquiring of management about actual and potential litigation and claims;
performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud;
reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance and reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Financial Conduct Authority; and
in addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls: testing the appropriateness of journal entries; assessing whether the accounting estimates, judgements and decisions made by management are indicative of a potential bias; and evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.
We also communicated relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team members and remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the company's member in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's member those matters we are required to state to the member in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's member, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The Statement of Income and Retained Earnings has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
Foundation Investment Management Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Foundation House, Scott Drive, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA15 8AB.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
This company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements:
Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;
Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues: Interest income/expense and net gains/losses for financial instruments not measured at fair value; basis of determining fair values; details of collateral, loan defaults or breaches, details of hedges, hedging fair value changes recognised in profit or loss and in other comprehensive income;
Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.
The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of Greystone Financial Services Holdings Limited. These consolidated financial statements are available from Companies House, Crown Way, Maindy, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors, amounts owed by group undertakings and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and amounts due to group undertakings are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.
The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the profit and loss account, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the company has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.
In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
No critical judgements or estimates have been made by the directors in preparing the financial statements.
An analysis of the company's turnover is as follows:
The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:
Their aggregate remuneration comprised:
No remuneration was paid to the directors. The directors are remunerated by other companies within the group for services provided to the group.
The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.
Includes all current and prior period retained profits and losses, net of distributions to shareholders.