Align Partners Acquires 14.0% Stake in JB Financial Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] Align Partners Asset Management announced on the 18th that it has signed a deal to acquire a 14.0% stake in JB Financial Group. Following its investment in Woori Financial Group shares in December last year, Align Partners has added another financial holding company to its portfolio.

The shares to be acquired by Align Partners are held by institutional investors such as Anchor Equity Partners and Asia Alternatives, who invested in JB Financial Group through a paid-in capital increase in November 2015. The acquisition price is 9,000 KRW per share, with a total acquisition amount of approximately 248.2 billion KRW.

As of 2021, JB Financial Group is a financial holding company that achieved the highest return on equity (13.7%) and net interest margin (2.91%) among domestic financial holding companies. Additionally, JB Financial Group has been steadily increasing its dividend payout ratio every year, focusing on shareholder returns.

CEO Lee Changhwan stated, “Based on our expertise in the financial industry, we will support the JB Financial Group management team in executing growth strategies over the long term.”

Meanwhile, Align Partners, established in 2021, is a private equity fund management company led by CEO Lee Changhwan, formerly of Goldman Sachs-KKR, and is composed of professionals with experience in management buyouts, M&A, value enhancement of portfolio companies, and research on listed companies.

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