IMAS acted as the exclusive financial adviser to Metis Wealth Limited and Metis Asset Management Limited (Metis) on their sale to Hurst Point Group (HPG), which will acquire 100% of Metis, subject to FCA approval. HPG is supported by funds managed by The Carlyle Group (Carlyle), an American multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services group with $325bn of assets under management.

Operating from offices in Haywards Heath and London, Metis is a financial planning and investment management business with approximately £750m of assets under advice and £190m of Assets under management. Metis Wealth Limited will become part of Argentis Group, the financial planning division of HPG. Metis Asset Management Limited will become part of Hawksmoor Group, the investment management division of HPG.

Hurst Point Group was established in 2019 in partnership with Carlyle to facilitate investments into the UK wealth management sector. HPG made its first investment in March 2020 with the acquisition of Harwood Wealth Management Group plc via a public scheme of arrangement. This was followed by the acquisitions of Hawksmoor Group, the business of Argentis and, most recently, Gore Browne Investment Management. The acquisition of Metis will take the HPG’s combined pro forma AuA/M to nearly £8bn.

IMAS was retained by Metis, being responsible for planning and managing the entire transaction process, including the initial preparations, approaches to and discussions with prospective buyers through to the ultimate closing of the transaction. Our work included a comprehensive review of the wealth management sector, specific valuation advice and assisting in the detailed negotiations on the initial and final terms of the deal.

John White, MD of Hurst Point’s Financial Planning division, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Metis into the Group. It has been most enjoyable working closely with founders Simon & George on the transaction over the last six months and we very much look forward to them and the whole team joining the business.

It is clear that Metis is a first-class financial planning business for high-net-worth clients, and growing our capabilities in this area is an important strategic priority for our business.”

George Delaney & Simon Arthur, the founders of Metis, said: “We very much look forward to becoming part of Hurst Point Group and continuing the journey of growing our business whilst further enhancing our client proposition. We are confident this move will have a very positive impact for both our clients and the exceptional Metis team.

It was of paramount importance to us that Metis was joining forces with a firm that not only offered opportunities for growth to all the Metis team but also where their culture and future goals were aligned with our own. To this end, and with the support of our corporate advisers, IMAS, we feel we have found the perfect environment at Hurst Point Group. We are confident Metis will continue to go from strength-to-strength in the coming years and beyond. We wish to thank our loyal clients and the Metis team for being an integral part of our business to date and we look forward to an exciting future together.”