The Restaurant Group PLC (LSE:RTN) (TRG) jumped 6.6% to 50.60p after it paid Big Table Group £7.5 million to take its loss-making leisure business off its hands.
The owner of Wagamama said it was selling 75 sites to Big Table, the owner of Cafe Rouge, principally comprising the brands Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito.
TRG said the sale “will significantly accelerate the group's core strategic goals of adjusted Ebitda margin accretion and deleveraging.”
Shore Capital analyst Greg Johnson said: "We see the proposed disposal as a significant milestone for the Group, improving cash flow, limiting the ongoing drag to revenues and profitability and significantly enhancing margins."
The transaction will create a high-quality retained group consisting of the three divisions of Wagamama, Pubs and Concessions which have delivered very strong like-for-like sales and adjusted Ebitda growth during the first half of 2023, with appealing long-term prospects, the firm added.
The deal is expected to be marginally EPS accretive in its first full year following completion and accelerate TRG's adjusted Ebitda margin accretion plan in excess of 100bps in its first full year following completion.
TRG said it is “continuing to actively explore its strategic options to further accelerate margin accretion and deleveraging.”
The deal should complete in the fourth quarter.