Concept
Arbuthnot Latham & Co., Limited is a British private bank for entrepreneurs and wealthy families, the principal entity of Arbuthnot Banking Group PLC (listed on AIM: ARBB and Aquis). Type: an independent private bank with a controlling owner — Sir Henry Angest holds 60% of the votes. The name dates to 1833 (a London merchant house, later an accepting house); the current bank was assembled by Angest in the 1990s around Aitken Hume Bank. The bank's CEO is Andrew Salmon (since 2018).
History and evolution
Founded on 13 May 1833 by John Alves Arbuthnot and Alfred Latham; the name disappeared under successive owners in the 1980s and was restored by Angest in 1994; the group has been on AIM since 2005. Growth came through niches: commercial property finance, Renaissance Asset Finance (2013), ACABL (2018), Asset Alliance (2020). The Dubai representative office (2013) was closed in May 2021, with clients moved to London. Recent products: the Direct Gilt Service (2024, ~£275m by late 2025) and the Global Direct Service for US-connected clients (July 2026).
2025 results: deposits of £4.57bn (+10.6%), loans of £2.25bn, pre-tax profit of £24.2m; funds under management and administration of £2.68bn (+21%); CET1 at 13.3%.
Regulation
- PRA / FCA — Arbuthnot Latham & Co., Limited (London; offices in Manchester, Exeter, Bristol).
- No international offices remain: Dubai closed in 2021; non-residents are served by a dedicated International Private Banking team in London, with booking in the UK or Jersey.
Source of funds and compliance
Onboarding starts with a threshold and jurisdiction check (the bank keeps an accepted-country list); then the source-of-funds file plus CRS/FATCA. No public FCA/PRA enforcement against the bank was identified; the 2025 accounts absorbed a £3.3m professional-negligence claim.
Who it serves
- UK: officially — new private-banking clients bring at least £750,000 across deposits, investments or borrowing;
- entrepreneurs — businesses with turnover above £1m; commercial property and asset-based lending;
- international clients: a team for expats, non-residents and non-UK passport holders living in the UK; since July 2026 a specialist proposition for US-connected clients;
- gilt investors — the Direct Gilt Service from £2m.
Services
Banking
- multi-currency accounts and cards, payments, treasury deposits, FX;
- mortgages (main residence and buy-to-let), revolving credit and overdrafts.
Lending
- borrowing against investment portfolios;
- property finance (£1–20m) and asset-based lending (£1–35m via ACABL).
Wealth management
- discretionary management via Arbuthnot Latham Investment Management; advisory and execution routes;
- the Direct Gilt Service and Global Direct Service; estate and retirement planning; an IFA/intermediary channel.
Entities and booking centres
| Jurisdiction | Legal entity | Format and supervisor | Role for the client |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Arbuthnot Latham & Co., Limited (London, Manchester, Exeter, Bristol) | bank, PRA/FCA | domestic market and the international desk |
| UAE | — | representative office closed in 2021 | clients moved to London |
Strengths
- an entrepreneurial specialisation: a bank for business owners rather than everyone;
- a set rare for its size: lombard lending, direct gilts, a US-connected line;
- fast decisions under a controlling owner without group bureaucracy;
- public AIM reporting and a clean supervisory record.
Where it does not fit
- clients needing international booking beyond the UK and Jersey — there is no network;
- fortunes below the official £750,000 threshold;
- those seeking a universal group's scale (structured products, capital markets);
- clients in Asia — the presence is British only.
Arbuthnot Latham is the entrepreneurs' bank with a controlling owner and an honest threshold: strong in lending and banking for business owners, narrow in geography and in the investment shelf.
Q/A
Entry and format
What minimum capital does Arbuthnot Latham require?
Officially: a new private-banking client brings at least £750,000 across deposits, investments or borrowing. A common mix-up with £250,000 — that is the ceiling for Arbuthnot Direct deposits, not the private-banking entry. For the Direct Gilt Service the benchmark is £2m+.
Does the bank work with non-residents?
Yes, through the International Private Banking team in London: expats, non-residents and non-UK passport holders living in the UK; assets can be booked in the UK or Jersey. Since July 2026 there is a specialist proposition for US-connected clients. The accepted-jurisdiction list sits with the bank.
What does the deposit guarantee cover?
The FSCS — £120,000 per person per institution (temporary high balances up to £1.4m); the limit is shared across the Arbuthnot Latham and Arbuthnot Direct brands. Custody securities are segregated.
History
Why was the Dubai office closed?
The DIFC representative office (2013) was closed on 31 May 2021 amid pandemic-era earnings pressure; clients were moved to London. International work has since run from the headquarters without foreign points.
Who controls the bank?
Sir Henry Angest — the group's chairman and chief executive with 60% of the votes; he assembled the current bank in the 1990s and restored its 1833 name. For a client this means decisions without corporate sign-off chains, but also key-person dependence.