ICG plc (ICG.L)
ICG is a specialist asset manager that lends money to and invests in private companies, acting as a bridge between investors and businesses needing capital.
Is ICG plc a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: ICG is a specialist asset manager that lends money to and invests in private companies, acting as a bridge between investors and businesses needing capital.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
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.
Strong expansion into new global markets and asset classes.
Structural decline in demand for private credit.
What does ICG plc do?
ICG acts like a professional middleman, taking money from big institutional investors and lending it to private companies that need cash to grow or restructure. They make their money primarily through management fees and performance bonuses based on how well those investments do. Much depends on the wider economy, since their ability to find and fund private businesses rests on the health of the companies they back.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 4.6% a year
- !Revenue slipped about 22% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 49% of sales into profit
- ·Low P/E of 12 vs last year's earnings
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 18%)
- Quality screens high (80/100)
- High profit margins suggest a very efficient business model.
- Attractive dividend yield for those looking for income.
- Strong return on equity shows effective use of shareholder capital.
- Growth screens low (5/100)
- A slowdown in the private equity market could hit fee income.
- Higher interest rates might increase the risk of defaults in their loan portfolio.
- The high beta indicates the shares may experience sharper swings than the average stock.
What do ICG plc's numbers mean?
Does ICG plc pay a dividend?
Yes - ICG plc currently pays a dividend of about 4.6% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
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What are the scenarios for ICG 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 ICG plc?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- High profit margins suggest a very efficient business model.
- Attractive dividend yield for those looking for income.
- Strong return on equity shows effective use of shareholder capital.
- Recent revenue and earnings growth have been negative.
- The share price has seen a decline over the past year.
- The business is highly sensitive to economic cycles.
- A slowdown in the private equity market could hit fee income.
- Higher interest rates might increase the risk of defaults in their loan portfolio.
- The high beta indicates the shares may experience sharper swings than the average stock.
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained return to positive revenue and earnings growth.
- A major shift in interest rate policy that changes the attractiveness of private credit.
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 2026-08-01 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.