What James Sharp & Co does

James Sharp & Co LLP is a UK-based, partner-owned independent stockbroker and investment management firm established in 1885 and headquartered at The Exchange, 5 Bank Street, Bury, Lancashire. The firm is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 813845) and operates as a Limited Liability Partnership with members referred to as Partners, without external shareholders or institutional investors. It is one of the longest continuously operating independent investment firms in the UK.

The firm offers two service tiers delivered to three primary client segments (individuals and families, charities and trustees, and companies/business owners): a Discretionary Service, in which investment managers make portfolio decisions on the client's behalf subject to AUM-based management fees, and an Execution Only Service, in which the firm executes share dealing instructions at best available prices and earns transaction fees. Client assets are held in pooled nominee accounts through wholly-owned subsidiary Rulegale Nominees Limited. Operational technology centres on the Conectus online client portal (account access, performance benchmarking, digital communications), third-party execution venue connectivity across UK brokers and market makers, AML and biometric identity verification, and AI-assisted compliance monitoring and document construction workflows under human review.

Revenue is generated through three streams: subscription-style AUM-based management fees on discretionary mandates, transaction fees on execution-only share dealing, and an interest spread retained on client money balances (BoE base rate minus 2.5% paid to clients). Distribution is relationship-led via direct phone, email, in-person consultations at the Bury office, a weekly Stock News newsletter, a LinkedIn presence, and an extensive (918+ page) market news archive on the corporate website. Geographic scope is limited to the United Kingdom.

Name

James Sharp & Co

Legal name

James Sharp & Co LLP

Website

https://jamessharp.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

James Sharp & Co LLP is a Bury-based, FCA-authorised UK stockbroker and investment manager founded in 1885, providing discretionary portfolio management, execution-only share dealing, and the Conectus client portal to individuals, charities, and companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Management and Stockbroking

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Prime Brokerage (FSAEACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Client Custody & Brokerage (Execution, Reporting, Safekeeping) (FSAAABAN)

Keywords

• Stockbroking services
• Discretionary investment management
• Execution-only share dealing
• Wealth management advisory
• Charity investment management

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancaster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Discretionary Investment Management: Discretionary investment management services where the firm manages client portfolios on a discretionary basis. Clients pay management fees for the hands-off approach where investment decisions are made by the firm's investment managers without requiring client approval for each transaction.
2. Execution-Only Share Dealing: Execution-only service where James Sharp executes share dealing instructions at the best prices based on liquidity and market conditions. Revenue generated through transaction fees on executed trades.
3. Interest on Client Money Balances: Interest income generated on client money held in trust accounts. The firm pays clients interest at a rate of 2.5% below Bank of England UK bank base rate, retaining the spread between the rate received from banks and the rate paid to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

James Sharp & Co is an FCA-regulated independent stockbroker and investment manager that provides discretionary portfolio management, advisory and execution-only share dealing services to individuals, families, charities, trustees and companies. The firm manages client portfolios under a Discretionary Service for hands-off investors and executes trade instructions on a best-price basis under its Execution Only Service, supported by the Conectus online client portal for account access and performance benchmarking.

Product overview

James Sharp & Co is a stockbroker and investment management firm offering two primary service levels: Discretionary Service for clients who prefer hands-off portfolio management, and Execution Only Service for clients who execute their own investment decisions. The firm provides services tailored for individuals, charities/trustees, and companies. The Conectus Portal serves as the online client portal for account access and investment monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discretionary Service Full-service investment management offering where James Sharp's investment managers make portfolio decisions on behalf of clients without requiring prior approval for each transaction. Designed for individuals, families, charities, trustees, business owners, directors and self-employed professionals who prefer a hands-off approach to long-term wealth management. Management fees are charged annually based on assets under management, negotiated individually.
• Execution Only Service Share dealing execution service where James Sharp executes client trade instructions at the best available prices based on liquidity and market conditions across multiple execution venues (Winterflood, Peel Hunt, Singer Capital Markets, Investec, Panmure Liberum and others). Aimed at self-directed investors among individuals, charities, trustees, business owners, directors and the self-employed who make their own investment decisions; revenue is generated through transaction fees on executed trades.
• Conectus Client Portal Secure online portal providing clients with access to their investment accounts held by James Sharp & Co, including portfolio holdings, performance benchmarking, analysis and monitoring tools, and a communication channel to the investment team. Made available to clients of both the Discretionary and Execution Only services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ years of continuous operation since 1885
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)coreOthersJames Sharp & Co LLP participates in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for Investments, providing client protection up to £85,000 for eligible investments in the event of firm default. Additionally, client money held on deposit is covered under the Deposits Protection scheme up to £120,000 per individual per institution.
• Rulegale Nominees LimitedcoreOthersClient investments are held in nominee company Rulegale Nominees Limited, ensuring client assets remain outside the reach of creditors in the event of James Sharp & Co being declared in default. Assets are generally held in pooled nominee accounts.
• Execution Venue PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationExecution venues and counterparties used for trade execution include: Gilts (Winterflood Securities, Singer Capital Markets, Collins Stewart, Peel Hunt); Debt Instruments (Canaccord Genuity, Jane Street, Winterflood, Peel Hunt); Equities (Peel Hunt, Winterflood, Investec, Singer Capital Markets, Panmure Liberum); Exchange Traded Products (Jane Street, Winterflood, Peel Hunt).
• Winterflood Securities LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary execution venue partner for equities, exchange traded products, and other instruments. Provides market access and trade execution services.
• Peel Hunt LLPcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary execution venue partner for equities, gilts, and exchange traded products. Provides market access and trade execution services.
• London Stock ExchangecoreOthersMember of the London Stock Exchange, enabling execution of listed securities trades.
• Aquis Stock ExchangecoreOthersMember of the Aquis Stock Exchange, providing access to this multilateral trading facility.
• PIMFA (Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association)minorOthersMember of PIMFA, the trade association for the personal investment management and financial advice industry.
• Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Verification PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party partners providing AML and identity verification services, including biometric technologies for identity verification. Used for compliance with FCA regulatory requirements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management: UK wealth management division providing discretionary investment management to private clients, with similar client demographics and traditional relationship-led service model to James Sharp.
• Charles Stanley & Co. Ltd: UK-based independent wealth manager and stockbroker offering discretionary portfolio management and execution-only dealing to individuals, charities, and trustees. Highly comparable business model, client mix, and service offering to James Sharp & Co.
• Jarvis Investment Management: UK-based independent investment manager offering discretionary and advisory portfolio management to individuals, retirees, and trustees. Closely comparable size, client mix, and traditional wealth management service model to James Sharp.

Broad incumbents

• Evelyn Partners (formerly Tilney): UK-based wealth management and professional services group providing investment management, financial planning, and advice to private clients, charities, and trustees. Overlapping service offering and client segments with significantly larger scale than James Sharp.
• Brewin Dolphin (now RBC Wealth Management): UK wealth manager providing discretionary investment management to private clients, charities, and intermediaries. Similar client segments and discretionary investment management focus to James Sharp, but at much larger scale under RBC ownership.
• AJ Bell: UK investment platform offering execution-only dealing, SIPP, and ISA services to retail investors and advisers. Directly competes with James Sharp's execution-only dealing offering but with platform-scale economics.
• Hargreaves Lansdown: UK's largest direct-to-consumer investment platform offering execution-only dealing and fund dealing to retail investors. Competes with James Sharp's Execution Only Service but at much larger scale and with low-cost platform economics.
• Quilter plc: UK wealth management business serving retail customers, advisers, and institutional clients through multiple platforms including discretionary portfolio management. Comparable investment management services but with platform and adviser-channel distribution that James Sharp lacks.
• Rathbones Group: Large UK wealth manager offering discretionary investment management to individuals, charities, and trusts. Comparable client segments and service tiers, but at significantly greater scale and broader geographic footprint than James Sharp.
• Interactive Investor: UK flat-fee investment platform serving retail investors with execution-only dealing and super-clean share classes. Competes with James Sharp on transaction-fee pricing for self-directed retail clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-sharp-&-co
• Xx.com/jamessharp1885

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about James Sharp & Co