Financial Technology, Data, and Analytics

Dear Clients and Friends,

Our latest Fintech m&a report can be found below. It highlights m&a trends and transactions in the seven segments of the Fintech world that we follow and sometimes lead.

Close followers of our Fintech newsletters will know that one of the Fintech sectors we follow closely is Capital Markets Infrastructure. It may not be a sexy segment. But, from an m&a perspective, it’s hot. 

A few weeks ago, McKinsey came out with a 30-page report on the segment – titled: Fintech Decoded: Capturing the opportunity in capital markets infrastructure. We like it.

McKinsey’s database includes about 700 capital markets infrastructure companies. (Our database has about 2,800 such firms.)  They note that the number has quadrupled since 2010 – we too show a ton of growth in the aggregate number of firms in the segment, the number of new firms, and the revenue they all generate. McKinsey opines that growth in this segment is likely to continue. We agree. 

The McKinsey report discusses four ways in which Fintech companies are innovating: Providing Access to Capital, (including broadening the range of asset classes); Trade Execution; Post Trade Services; Data Analytics and Operations (lowering latency, reducing operational risk and improving efficiency). We like the four categories – and would add Pre-Trade Decision Support. 

The report also discusses four technologies being used by leading edge firms including: Advanced Analytics, Distributed Ledger Technology; Cloud and Quantum Computing; and Automation. We like those technologies too – and would add innovative service models such as SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.

McKinsey notes – and we agree – that while “…growth in Fintech investment across the broader financial services sector has slowed since 2015”, demand by investors and acquirers in the capital markets infrastructure segment has remained strong – and shows no signs of slowing. We love working with innovative companies in all seven segments of the Fintech world that we follow and sometimes lead. And while the Capital Markets Infrastructure segment may not be sexy, there is no question that it is hot!

As you will see in the report found here, m&a values in this space continue to rise. Some of the more interesting transactions this month include:

• Temenos (SWX:TEMN) agreed to acquire Fidessa for $1.9bn, valuing the company at an implied 3.8x LTM revenue and 21.5x LTM EBITDA,
• Visa (NYSE:V) agreed to acquire Fraedom for £142mm (~$196mm), valuing the company at an implied 4.3x LTM revenue,
• CITIC Capital Partners (Hong Kong) and Caixin Global (Beijing, China) agreed to acquire Global Market Intelligence Division (“GMID”) from Euromoney Institutional Investor for $181mm, valuing the company at 12x LTM operating profit,
• The Shenzhen Stock Exchange (Shenzhen, China) and The Shanghai Stock Exchange (Shanghai, China) agreed to acquire a 25% stake in Dhaka Stock Exchange for $119mm, implying an enterprise value of $477mm,
• Pagaya Investments (Tel Aviv, Israel) raised $75mm in a debt funding round led by Citi.

Please see our March Fintech M&A Update below.