2026-08-17 · data
Time Finance shares jump on £55.1 million buyout offer
Shares of Time Finance jumped sharply on Monday after the UK SME lender announced a proposed takeover worth about £55.1 million.
The stock climbed as much as 10.5% during trading. It reached its highest level since November 2025.
The deal immediately caught investors' attention because the proposed offer gives shareholders a noticeable premium over the company's recent market price.
Bentley Park (UK) Limited has agreed to acquire Time Finance for approximately £55.1 million. The deal values the company at around $74.75 million.
The proposed offer price represents a 12.6% premium to Time Finance's closing price of 52.5 pence on August 14.
In simple terms, shareholders are being offered more than the price at which the stock was trading before the takeover announcement.
That explains the sharp move in the shares on Monday. Investors often push a company's stock higher when a buyer offers a premium.
Time Finance is an AIM listed finance company that focuses on lending to small and medium sized businesses in the UK. Its main services include asset finance, invoice finance, loans and vehicle finance.
The company has also been growing steadily. Its lending book reached £250.9 million in the financial year ended May 2026. Revenue rose to £38.5 million, while profit before tax and exceptional items reached £8.5 million.
The takeover premium is the biggest reason behind Monday's rally.
A 12.6% premium means the proposed offer is higher than the price investors were willing to pay for the shares before the announcement.
The market had already been valuing Time Finance at a level below the proposed takeover price. The new deal therefore gives investors a clearer valuation benchmark.
The company's recent financial performance may also help explain why it attracted a buyer.
Time Finance reported record revenue and profitability for its latest financial year. Its lending book has grown for 20 consecutive quarters. The company has also been focusing more heavily on secured lending, particularly invoice finance and asset finance.
That combination gives the business a growing loan book and a more established revenue base.
The proposed takeover now puts the company's future in the hands of the deal process.
The key issue for investors will now be whether the proposed acquisition moves ahead as planned.
Shareholders will need to follow the formal takeover process and any further announcements from Time Finance.
The company was previously preparing to publish its audited annual report for the year ended May 2026 on September 23. That means investors are also likely to get a detailed look at the company's latest financial position around the same period.
For now, the market's message is clear. Investors have placed a higher value on Time Finance after the takeover offer appeared.
The bigger question is whether the £55.1 million proposal becomes the final price or whether the takeover process creates room for a higher offer.