Harwood Wealth Management has secured £1.25bn in assets during 2020 after its private equity backer bought five financial planning firms.
Hurst Point Group, a subsidiary of private equity parent Carlyle, bought Harwood in a deal worth up to £91m in March last year.
Harwood went on to buy five financial planning businesses in 2020, adding £6m of revenue, 20 advisers and £1.25bn of assets under administration to the company.
The deals included Cameron Lewnes, Portcullis Wealth Management, Russell Marlow, Hazlewood Investment Services and certain assets of Gallagher’s wealth division, Argentis Financial Planning.
The acquisition of Argentis Financial Planning completed in December last year and is Harwood’s largest financial planning purchase to date, having added 5,000 clients to the business.
Neil Dunkley, head of financial planning at Hurst Point Group, said: “We are very pleased that, despite the disruption of the pandemic, we have managed to complete five financial planning acquisitions since the acquisition of Harwood Wealth.
“We have brought a number of very talented individuals into the team and are able to provide them with the central support which is so needed during uncertain times.
Most recently Hurst Point this year confirmed it had agreed to buy Hawksmoor Group, which will become a separate subsidiary of the private equity business.
The company said it had a further deal due to complete at the end of March, with a “number of other discussions progressing well”.
Mr Dunkley said: “We remain ambitious and are excited to continue our successful buy-and-build strategy with quality IFAs going forward.”
Private equity investment has become a prominent theme in the wealth management landscape in recent years.
Earlier this year London and Glasgow-based adviser Advanta Solutions struck a deal with Beech Tree Private Equity worth between £10m – £40m as part of plans to pursue an acquisition strategy it hopes will include multiple deals a year.
Source: FT Advisor
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