Contact us Find us Register
Back to previous section

Unite to acquire Empiric Student Property in £723m deal.

Student accommodation firm Unite Group said on Thursday that it has agreed to acquire rival Empiric Student Property in a cash-and-share deal that will reshape Britain's student accommodation landscape.

  • Unite Group
  • 14 August 2025 08:22:39
Unite Group

Source: Sharecast

The acquisition will bring together two of the sector's most prominent players, with Unite aiming to expand its reach into the postgraduate and returner student market segments, where Empiric has a strong foothold.

The £723m transaction will see Empiric shareholders receive 0.085 new Unite shares and 32p in cash per share, valuing Empiric at a 24% premium to its six-month average.

Unite said the combined portfolio will grow to £10.5bn, with approximately 75,000 beds across key university cities, including 92% in Russell Group locations.

Unite expects the acquisition to deliver £13.7m in annual cost synergies, supporting earnings and dividend accretion. Empiric shareholders will retain a 10% stake in the enlarged group.

The transaction, which will be subject to shareholder and court approval, was expected to be completed in Q226.

As of 0820 BST, Empiric shares were down 2.46% at 91.30p, while Unite shares were up 0.068% at 732.50p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

FTSE 100 ( UKX )

ISIN: N/A
Exchange: London Stock Exchange
Sell:
0.00
Buy:
0.00
Change: -38.34 ( -0.42 %)
Date:
Prices delayed by at least 15 minutes

Compare our accounts

If you're looking to grow your money over the longer term (5+ years), we have a range of investment choices to help.

View our accounts

Halifax is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the Markets News articles. We may not share the views of the author. Understand the risks, please remember the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. We don't provide advice so if you are in any doubt about buying and selling shares or making your own investment decisions we recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified Financial Advisor. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.