Last close As at 26/10/2026
GBP18.80
▲ −20.00 (−1.05%)
Market capitalisation
GBP229m
Research: Financials
S&U has issued an update confirming two new securitisation facilities providing up to £600m of funding over an initial three-year period. The separate facilities will be split £350m for Advantage, the motor finance business, and £250m for Aspen, the property finance business. Together they represent a significant increase to S&U’s prior £330m funding arrangements, and with improved rates should lower the group’s funding costs. That said, S&U will continue its disciplined lending practices focused on high returns on equity and capital employed. The new facilities should help drive down costs and increase profitability for both Advantage and Aspen. Although the specific terms of the deals have not been announced due to commercial considerations, the company will engage with interested shareholders upon request. Overall, we view S&U’s new facilities as an important milestone with a view to bolstering lending capacity, driving growth and increasing group profitability over the next three years.
| Year end | Revenue (£m) | PBT (£m) | EPS (£) | DPS (£) | P/E (x) | Yield (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/25 | 115.6 | 24.0 | 1.47 | 1.00 | 12.8 | 5.3 |
| 1/26 | 107.4 | 31.8 | 1.95 | 1.15 | 9.6 | 6.1 |
| 1/27e | 122.2 | 35.2 | 2.19 | 1.20 | 8.6 | 6.4 |
| 1/28e | 147.8 | 39.3 | 2.46 | 1.30 | 7.6 | 6.9 |
S&U’s management believe these new facilities will underpin the group’s growth ambitions and represent possibly the most transformative event at S&U for 20 years. The two separate facilities for Advantage and Aspen have been structured in a similar way, although the Advantage facility will be hedged by a balance guaranteed swap as and when receivables are pledged. The company will also maintain a small revolving credit facility of up to £25m at Advantage to provide funding flexibility and further cover.
S&U has invested an additional £43.3m in net borrowings in the first half of FY27 to fund a record £541.0m of net receivables. Importantly, the covenants and credit-quality conditions governing the new facilities reflect S&U’s traditionally disciplined approach to underwriting and funding. With this in mind, the new facilities open up opportunities for sustainable, responsible growth in both businesses. This could drive a doubling of receivables by 2030 while simultaneously expanding the group’s net interest margin.
S&U’s shares are currently trading on 8.6x FY27e and 7.6 FY28e P/E, at a material discount to historical valuation levels and imply a discount to book value. There is a strong potential for a re-rating as FY27 and FY28 profitability continues to increase, helped by the lower funding costs from the new securitisation facilities. The dividend yield of 6.4% offers attractive income support, while awaiting a recovery in earnings. The company will announce its Q3 results on 18 November 2026.
S&U
2 Stratford Court
Cranmore Boulevard, Solihull.
B90 4QT
0121 705 77 77
www.suplc.co.uk
Chairman: Anthony Coombs
Anthony Coombs joined S&U in 1975 and was appointed managing director in 1999 and chairman in 2008. Between 1987 and 1997 he served as an MP. He is on the executive of the Consumer Credit Association and is a director of a number of companies and charities including the National Institute for Conductive Education.
CFO: Chris Freckelton
Chris Freckelton joined S&U as group CFO in April 2025. Chris has worked in the financial services industry for 14 years as an external auditor for Deloitte, specifically focused on motor finance and speciality lenders offering finance to customers within underserved markets.
CEO, Advantage Finance: Karl Werner
Karl Werner joined S&U in December 2023 and was appointed CEO of Advantage Finance following Graham Wheeler’s retirement. Karl has worked in the motor finance industry for 20 years, most recently at MotoNovo Finance. His experience spans various roles including sales, marketing, operations and risk and finance.
CEO, Aspen Bridging: Ed Ahrens
Ed Ahrens joined S&U in 2014, becoming group strategic development director before leading the development of Aspen Bridging. He has been in banking and speciality finance for more than 30 years, with experience including senior roles at Barclays and AIB and as a founding director at Vanquis Bank.
Wiseheights
JEC Coombs
GDC Coombs
AMV Coombs
JS Coombs
M Cole Fontayne
Grevayne (controlled by A Coombs and G Coombs)
F Coombs
S Coombs
19.9
13.8
13.5
10.0
3.8
3.3
3.1
2.3
2.3
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London │ New York │ Frankfurt
20 Red Lion Street
London, WC1R 4PS
United Kingdom
Research: Healthcare
Sareum has conditionally raised c £3.2m through the issue of 22.8m shares at 14p, completing the Capital Access Window initiated on 8 October. While the 49% discount to the pre-suspension share price (27.5p) and accompanying one-for-one warrants are meaningfully dilutive, the raise removes a near-term financing overhang and should fund SDC-1801 through completion of its Phase II-enabling package. As previously highlighted, management intends subsequent clinical development to be partner-led, making successful execution of the enabling work and subsequent partnering central to the investment case. We view participation from two new institutional investors positively, while the strengthened balance sheet should give Sareum greater flexibility as it approaches its next clinical and strategic inflection points.