SC Lowy Acquires Remaining Stake in Choeun Savings Bank

HONG KONG--(Business Wire / Korea Newswire)--SC Lowy, an international banking and finance group specialised in fixed income, has acquired the remaining stake in Choeun Savings Bank in South Korea from Yuil PE, a private equity fund specialised in corporate restructuring buyout deals.

The acquisition increases SC Lowy’s ownership of Choeun Savings Bank to 99.8% and represents a successful exit for Yuil, which initially co-invested alongside SC Lowy in October 2013.

“The investment for the remaining stake reaffirms our commitment to Korea, fully integrating the bank into our overall global strategy,” said Soo Cheon Lee, chief investment officer of SC Lowy. “We plan to continue to replicate our success in Asia across other markets with a focus on Europe, consolidating into a wider strategy with banking platforms to lead our core business in Asia and Europe.”

Since the original acquisition of Choeun Savings Bank in 2013, SC Lowy and Yuil have also completed the purchase of Golden Bridge Savings Bank and helped the business:

· expand its balance sheet to US$300m from US$100m;

· create a 15% return on equity from a loss-making position; and

· increase headcount to 57 employees from 20.

During this process, SC Lowy has gained a good understanding of the Korean savings bank market and Yuil has achieved a significant investment gain and an enhanced track record. The acquisition of Yuil’s stake will strengthen SC Lowy’s position in Korea and is in line with its strategy of building a strong local presence with a long term commitment wherever it does business.

After the successful transformation of Choeun Savings Bank, SC Lowy and Yuil will continue to work together on other deals in Korea and rest of Asia.

About SC Lowy

SC Lowy is an international banking and finance group specialised in fixed income. Private and employee controlled, the firm uses its balance sheet to facilitate primary issuance, secondary trading and investments focused on corporate bonds, loans, trade claims and special situations. Sector coverage includes energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, telecom & media, metals & mining, retail, financials, shipping and real estate for corporations based in Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the group was established in 2009 and currently has over 100 employees located across the world’s major financial centres. In addition to its traditional banking clients, SC Lowy has built a global institutional client network of over 800 international and regional banks, asset managers, hedge funds, private equity and pension funds, family offices and corporations.

About Yuil PE

Yuil PE is a private equity corporate restructuring buyout firm specialised in the financial and manufacturing sectors which includes machinery, metals, plants and the defense industry.

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Website: http://www.sclowy.com

This is a news release distributed by Korea Newswire on behalf of this company.