By Chibuike Oguh
(Reuters) – Apollo Global Management Inc posted a 52% jump in fourth-quarter distributable earnings on Friday, driven by strong growth in management and advisory fees from its credit business.
The New York-based firm said its distributable earnings, or the cash used to pay dividends to shareholders, rose to $483 million in the three months to Dec. 31, up from $317.4 million a year earlier.
This resulted in distributable earnings per share of $1.05, slightly lower than the average analyst estimate of $1.10 per share, according to financial data provider Refinitiv.
While Apollo capitalized on strong markets at the end of 2021 to cash out on some of its investments, it did so at a slower pace than its major peers. It generated $4.2 billion in proceeds from exiting positions in the fourth quarter, down from $8.8 billion in the prior quarter.
Blackstone Inc, Carlyle Inc, and KKR & Co Inc have reported record fourth-quarter earnings that outperformed analyst estimates.
The equity segments of these firms were a major driver of their performance. Apollo, on the other hand, generates most of its earnings from its credit business, where assets outnumber those in its equity divisions by a factor of three to one.
Apollo said it deployed $34.6 billion on new investments in the fourth quarter, mostly in its credit division. Its fee-related earnings reached a record $309 million.
Corporate credit and structured credit funds gained 0.9% and 3%, respectively, while the private equity portfolio gained 5.2%. Blackstone, Carlyle and KKR reported appreciation in their private equity funds of 4.8%, 6% and 7%, respectively.
Under generally accepted accounting priniciples (GAAP), net income fell 45% to $234.4 million, compared with $425 million in the previous year, owing to a drop in investment income and a nearly threefold rise in its compensation expenses.
It booked about $1 billion as a one-time, non-cash charge from a previously announced plan to replace carried interest payments to executives with bumper stock awards.
Apollo’s total assets under management rose 3.4% to $497.6 billion, driven by growth in retirement services clients in its Athene franchise and strong fundraising. Its unspent capital stood at $47.2 billion at the end of the quarter.
(Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
