Shares in Roadside Real Estate PLC rose 3% to 74.2p after the AIM-listed company agreed to buy a portfolio of six petrol station forecourts in south-west England for an estimated £17.8 million.
Roadside said it had entered into a binding agreement to acquire Gardner Retail, whose sites collectively sell about 22 million litres of fuel a year. The business generated revenue of £33.9 million in the year to July 2025, with adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of about £2.1 million and a pre-tax profit of £0.6 million.
The company said the acquisition would be immediately earnings-enhancing in the current financial year and fits its strategy of building a resilient, income-generating portfolio of roadside assets. Management also pointed to opportunities to invest further in the sites to boost long-term cash flows.
The deal will be funded by increasing the size of Roadside’s existing debt facility with Tarncourt Properties to £35 million. On completion, expected in February 2026, total borrowings under the facility are forecast to be £26.6 million. The loan carries interest at the Bank of England base rate plus 3% and runs until April 2028.
Tarncourt is controlled by Roadside’s chief executive, Charles Dickson, making the amendment a related-party transaction. Independent directors said the terms were fair and reasonable.
Dickson described the acquisition as “the start of a new chapter”, adding that it provided a platform for further consolidation in the petrol forecourt and convenience retail market.