Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: CFG) has agreed to acquire JMP Group LLC (NYSE: JMP) in an all-cash transaction.
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in San Francisco, JMP is a capital markets firm that provides investment banking services, including strategic advisory, equity research and sales and trading focused primarily on the healthcare, technology, financial services and real estate sectors. Upon the closing of the transaction, JMP will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Citizens.
“The acquisition of JMP represents an attractive opportunity for us to continue to broaden both our capabilities and our customer base in our commercial banking segment,” said Bruce Van Saun, chairman and CEO at Citizens. “The acquisition further strengthens Citizens’ growing corporate finance and strategic advisory capabilities, with a focus on high growth and compelling industry sectors.”
“Citizens takes an approach to business and client service that mirrors our own,” said Joseph Jolson, founder and chairman of JMP. “We are energized by the opportunity to provide new strategic advisory and equities capabilities to Citizens’ corporate client base while simultaneously offering JMP Securities’ clients a highly complementary set of products and services as part of a leading U.S. depository institution.”
Under the terms of the merger agreement, JMP shareholders will receive $7.50 for each common share of JMP they own, or approximately $149 million in cash.
The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of each company, and the transaction is targeted to close in the fourth quarter of 2021. As of September 1, 2021, executive management and members of JMP’s board of directors owned approximately 60 percent of its outstanding common shares.
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP served as legal advisor to Citizens in connection with the transaction. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a Stifel company, and JMP Securities LLC served as financial advisors to JMP, and Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C. served as legal advisor.