Norman Broadbent (AIM:NBB), the AIM-listed executive search and interim management firm, posted net fee income (NFI) of £3.1m in the second quarter ended 30 June, a 41% jump from £2.2m in the first quarter and above the equivalent period last year.
The stronger second quarter was not enough to offset a slow January, leaving overall first-half NFI at £5.3m against a record £6m in the same period of 2025.
The board said improving NFI momentum and a higher level of work in progress underpin its confidence in delivering a record NFI for the second half of the year.
Three net new fee earners joined in the first half, with a further four secured to start in the second half and additional hiring planned under the group's growth strategy.
Norman Broadbent also completed the acquisition of Society in February, and said it continues to evaluate targeted acquisitions to accelerate growth where strategically and financially justified.
Chief executive Kevin Davidson said retainer income, which he described as a leading indicator for shortlist and placement fees, had picked up strongly, adding that geopolitical uncertainty and political change in the UK were extending client decision-making timelines.
