International Personal Finance trading well ahead of planned takeover

(Sharecast News) - International Personal Finance said in an update on Thursday that it made a positive start to 2026, with customer lending, receivables and customer numbers all increasing as demand remained robust across its markets. The FTSE 250 consumer credit provider said customer lending rose 23% year on year at constant exchange rates in the first quarter, supported by operational momentum and the execution of its Next Gen strategy.

Customer numbers increased 5% to 1.724 million, while closing net receivables rose 16% to £1.08bn.

Chief executive Gerard Ryan said IPF had entered 2026 with "very good momentum", building on its performance in 2025.

"Demand for our products remains robust, and we are seeing continued benefits from our Next Gen strategy through growth in customer numbers, lending and receivables," he said.

Provident Europe was the strongest performer, with customer lending up 30%, mainly driven by momentum in credit card lending in Poland.

IPF said the performance reflected the continuing rebuild of the Polish credit card receivables book since the second quarter of 2025, and that the growth rate was expected to moderate over the course of the year.

IPF Digital and Provident Mexico also delivered lending growth, with increases of 17% and 11%, respectively.

The group said all three divisions recorded double-digit year-on-year receivables growth.

The annualised revenue yield fell by 2.0 percentage points year on year to 52.2%, reflecting lower central bank interest rates across IPF's markets over the past 18 months and strong growth in lower-yielding receivables in Poland.

Customer repayments remained strong across the group, supporting credit quality.

As expected, the annualised impairment rate rose by 1.3 percentage points from the end of 2025 to 10.3%, reflecting the increase in lending.

IPF said it continued to focus on operational efficiency and cost control, with the cost-income ratio improving by 0.3 percentage points year on year to 61.1%.

Ryan said the group was making progress in broadening its products, strengthening digital capabilities and improving customer experience.

"Together with disciplined execution and strong credit quality, we are well positioned to continue delivering sustainable growth," he said.

The group said its balance sheet and funding position remained robust, with £95m of headroom on debt facilities at the end of the quarter.

It said it had secured £11m of bank facilities in the year to date.

IPF also gave an update on the proposed acquisition of the group by IPF Parent Holdings, a newly formed company in the same group as BasePoint Capital.

Shareholders approved the resolutions connected with the transaction at the court meeting and general meeting on 11 March.

The company said regulatory approvals had been received in all jurisdictions except Estonia and Poland.

Subject to the remaining conditions being satisfied or waived, the parties continue to target completion by the end of the second quarter of 2026.

On regulation, IPF said implementation plans for the second Consumer Credit Directive were continuing to evolve across its European markets, except in Hungary where the process had been completed.

The group said it was monitoring the potential impact and working with industry bodies to ensure regulatory changes supported responsibly provided credit.

Looking ahead, IPF said it continued to see good demand for credit, with the Next Gen strategy driving growth through an expanded product set, wider distribution channels, improved customer journeys and greater digital capability.

It said it would continue investing in growth opportunities, particularly in Mexico and Australia, as well as product development and customer acquisition channels.

"With a strong balance sheet and funding position, we remain confident in our ability to invest in our strategic priorities, increase financial inclusion and deliver against our operational and financial plans," Ryan said.

At 0826 BST, shares in International Personal Finance were up 0.2% at 247.5p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

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