Shares in Purple Group rose as much as 10.5% in intraday trade on Wednesday, putting it on track for its biggest gain in more than six months, after the EasyEquities owner reported higher interim earnings.
Management did, however, warn that the second half could unfold in a tougher macro environment.
For the six months to end-February, the group reported revenue of R258.5m, up 8.8% from R237.5m a year earlier, while operating expenses rose 0.5% to R161.1m. Profit before tax jumped more than 30%, while earnings per share rose about 20% to 2.86c.
The results were driven primarily by Easy Group, Purple’s retail-focused platform, which recorded revenue growth of 18.5% to R256.5m and profit before tax up 66.3% to R90.5m. Active clients rose by more than 20% to nearly 1.25-million, while client assets — the total value of money and investments held by users on the platform — increased more than 40%, supported by strong retail inflows.
CEO Charles Savage said they are bringing in more clients at scale and expanding their participation across products, while revenue grew 11 times faster than costs during the period.
A more challenging environment in the second half, with geopolitical risk and market volatility, is likely to affect retail investor activity.
Other developments from Easy Group include growth in retirement products, with EasyRetire retail assets nearly tripling in three years, and monthly retail deposits in March 2026 reaching R1.9bn. The company said it is also expanding internationally, with EasyEquities Philippines live and targeting 500,000 active users by year-end.
The company announced that it is pursuing digital initiatives, including a planned AI acquisition intended to support investment services, client interactions and platform operations.
By 3pm, the company’s share price had gained 8.95% to R2.07.
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