Dallas company makes $135 million buyout bid for subprime auto lender
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A Dallas company led by auto finance veteran Samuel Ellis is offering to buy out a California firm that specializes in subprime auto loans for $135 million.
Auto Experience Inc., which Ellis formed in 2018, said it made the all-cash bid in a letter to the board of directors of Consumer Portfolio Services Inc. after trading markets closed Wednesday. Its offer amounts to $6.18 a share — an 84% premium over where the Nasdaq-listed company’s stock ended Wednesday.
The suitor gave CPS until Oct. 30 to respond.
Based in Irvine, Calif., CPS works with auto dealers to buy and service consumer loans, funding its purchases primarily through securitization markets. About 75% of its business is financing used car sales, and its customers often have limited credit histories or past credit problems.
The 834-employee company posted revenue of $346 million last year, with $5.4 million in profit. It has recorded 28