Jack Dorsey’s payments company – Square – announced a $29 billion, all-stock deal to purchase the Australian fintech company Afterpay to expand further in the booming installment loan market. Square’s offer marks a roughly 30% premium to Afterpay’s last closing price.
Square pointed to consumers eschewing traditional credit. According to the company, the installment loans have been a “powerful growth tool” for its core seller business, and now it is looking to integrate Afterpay into both its seller and Cash App ecosystems.
Afterpay allows clients to pay in four interest-free installments and pay a fee if they miss an automated payment. After the deal is closed in the first quarter of 2022, Afterpay’s 16 million users will be able to manage installment payments straight through Cash App.
The announcement comes after Square revealed its Q2 results on Sunday, ahead of the previously planned release on Wednesday. The company’s gross profit went up 91% in the quarter compared to last year’s figures, marking a record quarterly growth rate.
After the news hit the wires, Afterpay share price closed almost 19% higher during the Australian trading hours.
Sources: cnbc.com, finance.yahoo.com, investing.com
