CNBC
Square plans to buy Australian fintech company Afterpay as it looks to expand further into the booming installment loan market.
Jack Dorsey’s payments company announced the $29 billion, all-stock deal on Sunday evening. The price tag marks a roughly 30% premium to Afterpay’s last closing price.
“Square and Afterpay have a shared purpose,” said Square’s CEO Dorsey in a statement. “We built our business to make the financial system more fair, accessible, and inclusive, and Afterpay has built a trusted brand aligned with those principles.”
Shares of Afterpay in Australia surged on that news, and closed nearly 19% higher on Monday.