Westpac Group has announced that it has entered into an agreement for the sale of its Vendor Finance business to Angle Finance, a portfolio company of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.
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Vendor Finance supports third parties to fund small ticket equipment finance loans to around 42,000 Australian businesses. The transaction is expected to result in the transfer of around $500 million of customer loans.
Chief Executive, Specialist Businesses, Jason Yetton, said “The sale represents the first transaction of the Group’s simplification initiatives and brings certainty for Vendor Finance customers and new opportunities for our people.”
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Given the relatively modest size of the portfolio, the sale is expected to have a negligible impact on Westpac’s balance sheet and capital ratios. There is expected to be a small accounting loss on sale due to the transaction being structured with an initial payment on completion and deferred consideration payable over the two-year period following completion.
Completion of the transaction is expected to occur at the end of April 2021.
Vendor Finance currently operates out of the Westpac subsidiary Capital Finance Australia Limited (CFAL). Westpac will continue to retain and manage the remaining CFAL Equipment Finance business in its Business Division.
