No sign of trouble Brewin here

But the firm warned that its commission income would not match the "very strong levels" recorded in the fourth quarter of the previous financial year.

Fee income for the period will be set using the closing market price on Tuesday 5 October.

Discretionary funds under management - which the firm invests on behalf of clients - rose by 18.6 per cent to 14bn, Brewin said in a pre-close update.

It added that the rise in real terms, stripping out inflation, was 10.8 per cent, "comfortably" ahead of the board's aim of growing discretionary funds by 5 per cent year-on-year.

Executive chairman Jamie Matheson told The Scotsman: "The rise in funds under management is part of an ongoing trend for people to look for professional advice on the management of their assets.

"Our clients have always been savers - it's in their genes - but perhaps now we are beginning to benefit from the message that more people need to save for their retirement. Our Scottish business has performed in line with the rest of the UK."

Advisory funds under management, in which clients take a more active role in controlling their investments, rose by 5.7 per cent to 9.2bn.

Brewin added: "The board is looking forward to 2011 with confidence."

Results for the year to 26 September are due on 1 December. Danielle James, an analyst at Shore Capital, which carries a "buy" recommendation on Brewin Dolphin, said: "The tone of the statement is positive. Absent a significant decline in the FTSE before 5 October, fee income is also likely to be strong. We continue to be of the view that Brewins trades at an unwarranted discount to its peers."

At the interim stage in May, Brewin reported a 15 per cent rise in revenues to 120.9m, with pre-tax profits rising by 37 per cent to 15.2m.

The group has 41 offices, including seven in Scotland.