TipRanks
Go Ultimate55% OFF

ASA International Group PLC (ASAI) AI Stock Analysis

Top Page

GB:ASAI

ASA International Group PLC

(LSE:ASAI)

Select Model
Rating:67Neutral
Price Target:GBX 239.00â–¼(-2.45% Downside)
Action:reiterated
Date:09/12/26

The score is driven by attractive valuation (low P/E and solid dividend yield) and a constructive technical trend with neutral-to-positive momentum. Offsetting these positives, the financial profile is tempered by sustained negative operating/free cash flow since 2023 and elevated leverage, while the latest earnings call was supportive but acknowledged rising credit provisions and modest margin/asset-quality pressures.

Positive Factors
Strong portfolio and client growthRapid growth in clients and the loan portfolio indicates sustained demand for ASA International’s microfinance offering. Expanding scale can deepen local market positions, increase recurring interest income, and improve the operating leverage of its branch and collections infrastructure over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Elevated financial leverageHigh leverage increases ASA International’s sensitivity to credit losses, funding costs, and earnings volatility because a larger debt base supports the lending portfolio. This can constrain financial flexibility and make sustained growth more dependent on continued access to funding.

ASA International Group PLC (ASAI) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)

-10%0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%GB:ASAI+46.68%EWC+21.27%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
Market Cap
GBP 245.00M
Dividend Yield
5.00%
Average Volume (3M)
50.51K
Price to Earnings (P/E)
4.4
Beta (1Y)
0.66
Revenue Growth
25.27%
EPS Growth
69.00%
Country
UK
Employees
15,226
Sector
Financial
Sector Strength
68
Industry
Financial - Credit Services

ASA International Group PLC Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

ASA International Group PLC delivers microfinance solutions across Africa and Asia. The company primarily focuses on assisting low-income female micro-entrepreneurs by offering them various unsecured loans, including small business loans, to facilita...

How the Company Makes Money

ASA International makes money primarily by earning interest income and fees on microloans issued to customers through its operating subsidiaries. The core revenue model is lending-based: the company raises or allocates funding to its local entities,...

ASA International Group PLC Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Sep 08, 2026(Q2-2026)|% Change Since:-1.01%|Next Earnings Date:Apr 26, 2027
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call was strongly positive. Management reported robust underlying growth, a 42% increase in underlying net profit, improved operating efficiency, stronger equity and funding positions, continued strategic execution, and a full-year outlook at or slightly above $70.2 million consensus. The main challenges were modest portfolio-quality deterioration, margin pressure, adverse foreign-exchange translation, expected higher credit provisions and taxes, and disruption from Uganda's trade regulations, but these did not outweigh the positive operating and financial trends.

Positive Updates

Strong Client and Loan Portfolio Growth
The client base grew 11% year-on-year in the first half of 2026 to over 2.7 million. Outstanding loan portfolio increased to $600 million, up 18% year-on-year on a reported basis and 24% on a constant-currency basis.

Negative Updates

Uganda Trade Regulations Disrupted Client Businesses
New trade regulations led to shops being bulldozed and traders being evicted from Kampala and greater Kampala. Management said some clients lost their shops and inventory and had to rebuild their businesses, which had a significant effect on portfolio quality and would remain significant.

Company Guidance

For the remainder of 2026, ASA International expects demand for loans by clients to also be resilient and full year 2026 underlying net profit to be in line or slightly ahead of the current company compiled consensus of $70.2 million; for the second half, margins are expected to remain in that bracket, which we are very comfortable with, between 35% and 40%, costs are expected to be well under control, but we will see a bit of a further rise, ECL charges are likely to rise slightly, and the effective tax rate is expected to go up basically from the underlying 38% to in the range around 40%-42%; the goal is still to pay out 25% over the full year of 2026, with a maximum payout of 30%, and the funding pipeline is robust, standing at more than $300 million for the remainder of 2026.

ASA International Group PLC Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Reported profitability has improved (net income rising from 29.2M in 2024 to 57.1M in 2025) and gross profitability is strong (~79–81% in 2021–2024). However, financial risk is elevated due to high leverage (debt-to-equity ~2.9–3.6x in 2022–2024) and a material deterioration in cash generation, with negative operating and free cash flow persisting in 2023–2025 (e.g., -53.4M operating cash flow and -60.6M free cash flow in 2025).

Income Statement

62Positive

Balance Sheet

48Neutral

Cash Flow

25Negative
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue295.63M312.41M230.29M183.99M186.77M197.01M
Gross Profit283.30M257.00M186.84M146.24M146.45M154.57M
EBITDA157.37M112.23M70.02M37.66M52.05M32.09M
Net Income74.56M57.09M29.25M9.21M17.89M8.79M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets848.68M797.11M568.50M490.03M489.75M562.55M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments175.81M107.46M79.82M2.15B68.97M111.48M
Total Debt440.17M428.55M324.77M276.68M264.39M322.13M
Total Liabilities655.08M635.26M472.01M413.42M400.09M459.11M
Stockholders Equity194.71M164.26M98.47M77.93M89.81M103.58M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow90.17M-60.63M-29.68M-24.17M36.95M10.35M
Operating Cash Flow88.32M-53.44M-23.54M-16.67M43.12M12.52M
Investing Cash Flow-171.66M-7.17M-6.07M-7.50M-5.83M-2.19M
Financing Cash Flow119.96M88.47M34.91M27.56M-29.72M-12.41M

ASA International Group PLC Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price245.00

Price Trends

50DMA238.69Positive
100DMA241.08Positive
200DMA219.82Positive

Market Momentum

MACD3.94Negative
RSI51.88Neutral
STOCH48.58Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:ASAI, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 245.00 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 243.75, above the 50-day MA of 238.69, and above the 200-day MA of 219.82, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 3.94 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 51.88 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 48.58 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:ASAI.

ASA International Group PLC Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)

Financial Indicators

GB:ASAI against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
GB:DFCHGB:DFCH74OutperformGBP 117.08M6.3513.97%―22.63%33.09%
Sector *68Neutral$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
GB:FCHGB:FCH67NeutralGBP 571.83M9.9426.71%―52.96%242.50%
GB:ASAIGB:ASAI67NeutralGBP 245.00M4.3741.54%5.00%25.27%69.00%
GB:SUSGB:SUS61NeutralGBP 228.43M9.549.55%6.17%5.62%19.68%
GB:VANQGB:VANQ51NeutralGBP 109.32M10.052.20%―6.21%―

* Financial Sector Average

Performance Comparison

-50%0%50%GB:ASAIGB:VANQGB:SUSGB:FCHGB:DFCHDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
GB:ASAI and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
GB:ASAIASA International Group PLC245.0079.3947.94%
GB:VANQVanquis Banking Group plc43.10-70.70-62.13%
GB:SUSS&U plc1880.00208.1512.45%
GB:FCHFunding Circle Holdings207.0071.4052.65%
GB:DFCHDistribution Finance Capital Holdings Plc71.0018.0033.96%

ASA International Group PLC Corporate Events

Regulatory Filings and Compliance

ASA International Discloses Off‑Market Share Transfer to General Counsel

Positive
Sep 28, 2026

ASA International Group plc has disclosed a director and PDMR share transaction involving its General Counsel, Martijn Bollen, as part of its ongoing regulatory transparency obligations. Bollen received 524,540 ordinary shares of 1p each in an off-ma...

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes

ASA International appoints CFO Geert Embrechts to Board

Positive
Sep 9, 2026

ASA International Group PLC has appointed Chief Financial Officer Geert Embrechts to its Board as an Executive Director, effective 9 September 2026. The move formalises his transition, previously announced in November 2025, and underscores the compan...

Business Operations and StrategyDividendsFinancial Disclosures

ASA International boosts profits and loan book as capital strength grows

Positive
Sep 9, 2026

ASA International reported a 70% rise in H1 2026 net profit to USD 45.6 million, with underlying profit up 42% and gross outstanding loans growing 12% year-on-year to USD 603.9 million. The group’s portfolio quality remained strong, with PAR ov...

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes

ASA International GC Exercises Share Options Under LTIP

Neutral
Aug 17, 2026

ASA International Group plc, a major microfinance provider listed in London, focuses on advancing financial inclusion by offering small loans to low-income entrepreneurs, mainly women, across multiple markets in Asia and Africa. Its model targets fin...

Other

ASA International CEO Exercises Share Options, Bolstering Stake in Microfinance Group

Positive
Aug 7, 2026

ASA International Group plc disclosed that Chief Executive Officer Rob Keijsers has exercised options under the company’s long-term incentive plan, acquiring 30,000 ordinary shares at a price of GBP 0.82 per share. The transaction, completed on...

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures

ASA International posts Q2 growth as digital push and India exit reshape portfolio

Positive
Jul 30, 2026

ASA International reported continued portfolio and client growth in the second quarter of 2026, underscoring resilience in its microfinance operations despite challenging conditions in several markets. Gross outstanding loans rose 4% during the quart...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Sep 11, 2026