Introduction:
Close Brothers Group plc, a merchant banking company, engages in the provision of financial services to small businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. It operates through five segments: Commercial, Retail, Property, Asset Management, and Securities. The company offers banking services comprising of debt factoring, invoice discounting, asset-based lending; financing for SMEs, residential housing, transport, industrial equipment, renewable energy, motorcycle, used car, and commercial vehicle financing; insurance, refurbishment, and bridging financing, savings products for individuals and corporates, hire purchase, lease, and loan related services. In addition, it provides asset management services, such as investment management solutions; financial planning, custody, and tax services. Further, the company offers investment advisory and broking and trading related services, as well as provides funding services for general aviation aircraft, and various leisure and commercial marine vessels; and brewery rentals. Additionally, it provides leasing services for commercial vehicles, machine tools, contractor plant, printing equipment, car fleets, aircraft and marine vessels, and energy project. Furthermore, the company offers financing services to the professional service sector, including dental, accounting, opticians, legal, funeral, veterinary, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors. It provides self-directed services that help investors to manage their portfolio online; and services for financial advisers; and liquidity and flexible execution services to retail stockbrokers, wealth managers, and institutional investors. The company offers market making, sales, research, and corporate broking services; and dealing, custody, and settlement services to the institutional, wealth management, and brokerage clients. Close Brothers Group plc was founded in 1878 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.