It seems like with the coronavirus outbreak in the forefront of everybody’s minds, business activities have hit a speed bump. However, it’s not stopping some companies from moving forward with mergers and acquisitions, especially when it comes to the financial technology (fintech) sector.
Per a PYMNTS.com report, “Intuit, the tax software company is best known as being the enterprise behind QuickBooks and TurboTax, is looking into acquiring FinTech Finicity, according to reports.”
“Intuit recently bought Credit Karma for $7 billion. It could also potentially buy Credit Sesame and NerdWallet. Finicity is reportedly worth between $1 and $2 billion, and Credit Sesame could potentially sell for between $500 million and $750 million. The amount that NerdWallet would sell for is unknown,” the report added.
However, when pressed for details, Intuit spokespeople couldn’t spill the beans.
“We do not comment on speculations or rumors,” an Intuit spokeswoman said, based on the report.
Fintech is certainly one of the hot sectors that could continue as the financial sector continues to undergo disruption. With the coronavirus infecting the capital markets, for investors who want to buy on the current weakness to position their portfolios for future gains, fintech is one of those areas that deserves a closer look.
ETF Opportunities in M&A, Fintech
This could be translating into strength for the IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF (NYSEArca: MNA), which recently surpassed $1 billion in assets under management (AUM).
Last year, mergers and acquisitions were abound in various sectors as the historic bull market saw a rise in such activity, particularly from the technology sector that fueled much of the growth. Notable activity came from the likes of tech giants, such as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Cisco Systems, Accenture, Cisco Systems, AT&T, and Sprint.
However, mergers and acquisitions have been seen across a variety of sectors like biotech and big pharma, which has helped MNA. MNA seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, the IQ Merger Arbitrage Index, which seeks to employ a systematic investment process designed to identify opportunities in companies whose equity securities trade in developed markets, including the U.S., and which are involved in announced mergers, acquisitions, and other buyout-related transactions.
ETFs to look at in the growing fintech space include the Global X FinTech ETF (NasdaqGM: FINX) and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (NYSEArca: ARKF). ARKF invests in equity securities of companies that ARK believes are shifting financial services and economic transactions to technology infrastructure platforms, ultimately revolutionizing financial services by creating simplicity and accessibility while driving down costs.
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