Close Brothers Group plc (CBG.L)
Ever wondered how local garages and smaller businesses get funding when high street banks say no? Close Brothers steps in to lend.
Is Close Brothers Group plc a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: long-established footprint in specialist UK lending. Worth weighing: recent profitability is negative due to heavy provisions. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Close Brothers Group plc actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Close Brothers Group plc fell as much as −66% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
the banking division returns to strong profitability and asset values are re-rated upwards
structural headwinds permanently depress lending margins and profitability
What does Close Brothers Group plc do?
Close Brothers is a traditional British merchant banking group that provides loans to small businesses, motor finance to motorists, and wealth management services for private clients. Interest on loans and fees for managing investments are the earners, though recent profits have taken a knock due to industry-wide investigations into historic car finance practices. The critical thing to keep an eye on is how the ongoing motor finance review gets resolved and what compensation costs might ultimately land on the balance sheet.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and momentum, and weakest on quality.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- !Revenue slipped about 6% over the year
- long-established footprint in specialist UK lending
- shares trade at a notable discount to estimated net asset book value
- diversified across banking, asset management, and securities
- Quality screens low (6/100)
- Growth screens low (10/100)
- Momentum screens low (26/100)
- Income screens low (9/100)
- regulatory fallout from the motor finance commission investigation
What do Close Brothers Group plc's numbers mean?
Does Close Brothers Group plc pay a dividend?
No - Close Brothers Group plc doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
When does Close Brothers Group plc report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Close Brothers Group plc is next scheduled to report on about 2026-09-29 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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What are the scenarios for Close Brothers Group plc?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Close Brothers Group plc?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- long-established footprint in specialist UK lending
- shares trade at a notable discount to estimated net asset book value: A company's net assets - what it owns minus what it owes - per share. Price-to-book compares the share price to this figure.
- diversified across banking, asset management, and securities
- recent profitability is negative due to heavy provisions
- dividends have been suspended, removing income for shareholders
- revenue has contracted year-on-year
- regulatory fallout from the motor finance commission investigation
- potential loan defaults if the wider UK economy stumbles
- reputational damage affecting customer trust
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- a definitive final ruling on motor finance that removes the cloud of uncertainty
- a return to consistent positive net margins and reinstated shareholder payouts
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.