Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Manx Financial takes majority stake in partner Payment Assist

(Sharecast News) - Manx Financial Group announced on Monday that its Manx Ventures subsidiary has agreed to acquire a 50.1% interest in UK-focussed point-of-sale lender Payment Assist for initial consideration of £4m cash. The AIM-traded firm had been working with Payment Assist since 2015, with its wholly-owned Conister Bank subsidiary providing the primary wholesale funding agreement to support Payment Assist's growth.

It said the acquisition remained conditional on the satisfaction of certain conditions, including approval of the change of control by the Financial Conduct Authority.

In addition to the Acquisition, Manx Ventures agreed an option to acquire the remaining 49.9% of Payment Assist for up to £5m in cash.

The option could be exercised by Manx Ventures at any time within two years of Payment Assist publishing its audited accounts for the year ending 31 December 2024.

Manx Financial Group said it would fund the initial £4m consideration and deferred consideration of up to £5m from its cash resources.

"The joint venture with Payment Assist continues our strategy of acquiring interests in high quality specialist lenders," said chief executive officer Douglas Grant.

"We have witnessed first-hand the growth of Payment Assist over the last seven years, and the board believes that there is potential for significant further growth.

"The acquisition, with no dilution to shareholders or external funding required, will position the company to capitalise on what we expect to be a high margin and profitable business now and in the future."

Grant added that the option positioned the company to acquire the remaining 49.9% of Payment Assist at an "attractive" valuation if the business grew as the company expected over the next three years.

"We have started the process of engaging with the FCA to obtain their approval for the proposed change of control and will make an announcement to update the market once this is received."

At 1026 BST, shares in Manx Financial Group were down 5.88% at 8p.

Reporting by Josh White at Sharecast.com.

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Proteome Sciences secures contract win with US biopharmaceutical firm
(Sharecast News) - Contract proteomics service Proteome Sciences has secured a contract win from a US biopharmaceutical company using the company's mass spectrometry services for the analysis of samples for an on-going clinical trial.
Loungers FY24 underlying earnings seen ahead of market expectations
(Sharecast News) - Bar and restaurant operator Loungers said on Friday that it had seen continued strong like-for-like sales growth in the 53 weeks ended 21 April and now expects full-year underlying earnings to come in ahead of expectations.
Brickability Q4 trading impacted by 'lower levels of demand'
(Sharecast News) - Construction materials distributor Brickability said on Friday that its Q4 trading performance continued to reflect "lower levels of demand" for bricks and associated building products seen throughout the first nine months of the year.
Revenue, earnings to fall at Driver Group
(Sharecast News) - Dispute avoidance and resolution consultancy Driver Group said in a trading update on Thursday that it expected to report revenue of £22.5m for its first half, slightly down from £24.2m a year earlier.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.