Motor finance specialist S & U Plc (LON:SUS) is trading in line with management's expectations and is well financed for growth next year, including the launch of its pilot bridging finance business in January.
Reporting on the period from August 1 to December 7, the firm said customer numbers at its Grimsby-based car finance provider Advantage were up 34% on last year and now approach 42,000.
Net receivables are over £189mln and transaction numbers were 16% higher than last year.
Monthly collections are at record levels and are now more than £8mln per month.
Chairman Anthony Coombs said: "Despite widespread assumptions of "post Brexit gloom", consumer appetite for credit, partially reflecting a robust labour market, continues unabated.
"This apparent contradiction has been recently reflected, for both S&U and for others in the speciality finance sector, in what I view as an unjustified decoupling of S&U's performance and prospects and our stock market valuation."
As reported in September, the group plans to invest in a new pilot property bridging finance business and plans for the launch of Aspen Bridging Finance are now well advanced, the firm said.
This will be geared at people who may need a short term loan while stuck in a mortgage chain, or who are looking to refurbish a buy-to-let property.
S &U noted: "The current dearth of supply in the housing market and long term unmet residential demand, provide secure and profitable opportunities for property backed bridging lending."
To give an idea of scale, the UK bridging market grew from around £2 billion in 2012 to £5billion now, and is forecast to reach nearly £10billion by 2020.
The group said it had obtained a further £15mln of bank facilities during the period and now has £85mln - sufficient for growth expected at Advantage Finance over the next year, and for the launch in January of Aspen Finance.