Acquisition

RNS Number : 2399W

STM Group PLC

13 November 2017

 

STM Group Plc

("STM", the "Company" or the "Group")

Acquisition of the Malta based

Harbour Pensions Limited

STM Group Plc (AIM: STM), the cross border financial services provider, is pleased to announce that on 10 November 2017 STM Malta Limited signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement ("the Acquisition") with the shareholders of Harbour Pensions Limited ("Harbour") to acquire the entire issued share capital of the company and its related pension trust schemes.

The Acquisition is subject to regulatory approval by the Malta Financial Services Authority, a process that generally takes a few months. Harbour is a licensed retirement scheme administrator based in Malta, incorporating four registered pension schemes with some 1,600 Members and audited revenues in the year to 31 December 2016 of £1.1 million.

The Board views the acquisition as a straight forward "bolt-on" to STM's Malta business, complementing the existing circa 7,500 QROPS members and delivering recurring annual revenues in excess of £0.8 million per annum. The complete integration of the Harbour business is expected to take in the region of six months, after which the Board expects to deliver cost synergies and economies of scale of some £0.4 million on an annualised basis. The Board believes the acquisition will be moderately earnings enhancing in the first full financial year of ownership with annualised profit contribution of £0.4 million thereafter.

The terms of the Acquisition are confidential for commercial reasons but it will be funded from existing cash reserves.

Commenting on the acquisition, Alan Kentish, Chief Executive Officer of STM, said:

"We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Harbour which will further build our book of business in Malta and allow for additional profit uplift from this jurisdiction.

"Harbour is a good solid business and the acquisition by STM is a win-win for all parties, giving a sensible exit route for the existing shareholders whilst at the same time ensuring that their existing QROPS members are well looked after going forward.

"As predicted, the QROPS landscape in Malta and Gibraltar was always going to change significantly post March 2017 UK budget announcement.

"The STM executive continues to seek other consolidation opportunities in the QROPS market."

Justin Caffrey, Managing Director of Harbour, added:

"Harbour was always a five year plan for the team and we are rapidly approaching the end of this period. As entrepreneurs, this move allows us to focus on our other investments within our portfolio.

"It has been a great team effort and I wish to thank all those who contributed to Harbour over the years, and I have very much enjoyed working in the dynamic financial services hub of Malta.

"I am delighted that we were able to reach agreement with STM to acquire Harbour as they are one of the largest independent global pension administrators."

The information communicated in this announcement is inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation 596/2014.

For further information, please contact:

STM Group Plc
Therese Neish, Chief Financial Officer [e-mail]	Via Walbrook PR www.stmgroupplc.com
FinnCap	www.finncap.com
Matt Goode / Emily Watts - Corporate Finance Mia Gardner - Corporate Broking	Tel: [phone]
Walbrook	www.walbrookpr.com
Tom Cooper / Paul Vann	Tel: [phone]
	Mob: [phone]
	[e-mail]

Notes to editors:

STM is a multi jurisdictional financial services group which is listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. The Group specialises in the delivery of a wide range of financial service products to professional intermediaries and the administration of assets for international clients in relation to retirement, estate and succession planning and wealth structuring.

Today, STM has operations in the UK, Gibraltar, Malta, Jersey and Spain. The Group is looking to expand through the development of additional products and services that its ever more sophisticated clients demand. STM has developed a specialist international pensions division which specialises in Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS), Qualifying Non UK Pension Schemes (QNUPS). STM has a Gibraltar Life Insurance Company, STM Life plc, which provides life insurance bonds - wrappers in which a variety of investments, including investment funds, can be held.

Further information on STM Group can be found at www.stmgroupplc.com

 

END

 

 

ACQLLFSDLVLILID