IRVINE, Calif., March 22, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It was announced today that Mercantile Resources, Ltd. (Pink Sheets:ACKO), who is in the process of changing its name to Sharewell Capital Group, Inc. (the "Company"), has closed the acquisition of Safeguard Funding, LLC ("Safeguard"), a California-based specialized lending firm. This is the first closing in the Company's pursuit of becoming a diversified holding company through the acquisition of controlling interests and strategic assets, primarily within the financial services industry.
This initial strategic acquisition provides the Company with the necessary licensing, leadership and infrastructure to create and launch its specialized lending business focused on niche markets and clientele, such as professional sports. In conjunction with the acquisition of Safeguard, the Company acquired nearly $10 million of private loans owned by a Safeguard-affiliate.
The Company is also in the process of negotiating the acquisition of additional blocks of private loans from various investors, which are hampered by "duration mismatch" between the liquidity timeline for the underlying loans and the need for liquidity among the lenders. The Company intends to maximize the liquidation value of these loans over time and thereby reinvest this tranche of permanent capital into strategic acquisitions that it believes will be accretive to shareholder equity. The Company is currently pursuing several acquisitions and investments in banking, insurance and asset management.
"This transaction, along with our current pipeline of potential deals, is integral to our long-term business plan and strategy of effectively leveraging our public company structure to raise and invest permanent capital to grow and compound shareholder equity over time," said Steve Robertson, interim CEO. "Safeguard gives us an immediate footprint in private lending, which we expect to be synergistic and strategic to our long-term plan and strategy."
The Company previously announced that it has submitted the required applications and regulatory filings to change its name to Sharewell Capital Group, Inc. and to receive a new trading symbol.
About Mercantile Resources, Ltd.
The Company is a publicly-traded holding company, focused on the acquisition and development of controlling interests in various companies and strategic assets, primarily in the financial services industry. The Company intends to raise and invest permanent capital with a "duration agnostic" time horizon, in order to maximize shareholder equity and provide investors with continuous liquidity of their ownership position. The Company's investment objective is to generate consistent positive growth in shareholder equity over time, regardless of the direction of the global economy, equity markets or interest rates.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made by the Company., which are not historical facts, may be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements as to trends, management's beliefs, expectations and opinions, which are based upon a number of assumptions concerning future conditions that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and may be affected by various factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Investor Relations Tammy Perry tammy@selahcommunications.com