In a trading update, the firm said the fourth quarter of its 2009 financial year was “proving to be strong on the back of high stockbroking dealing volumes and the positive impact of the market”.

The value of assets held within the Vantage service, the group's direct-to-private investor fund supermarket and wrap platform, increased by 15 per cent from £9.2 billion as at 31 March 2009 to £10.6 billion as at 31 May 2009; the rise compares with a gain of 13.5 per cent in the FTSE All-Share index.

The report also contained comments about the draft rules on the investment industry as set last week by the Financial Services Authority, the UK’s financial industry’s state regulator. The rules, as part of a process known as the Retail Distribution Review, are designed to improve the quality of financial advice to consumers. There have been some concerns that the RDR will increase regulatory costs.

“We can see nothing in the draft rules that will be overtly damaging to our business model. We can see no significant threats or costs to the group resulting from the proposals. There will be no retrospective changes to existing business in 2012 resulting from the new rules,” Hargreaves Lansdown said.

The firm will give further details on its performance for the 12 months ending on 30 June, on 2 September this year.