SÃO PAULO, Brazil, Dec. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XP Inc. (Nasdaq: XP). XP Inc., or XP, a leading, technology-driven platform and a trusted provider of low-fee financial products and services in Brazil, announced today the acquisition of Riza M&A, an independent financial advisory company. Riza has one of the most seasoned and respected teams in the segment, with experience in important financial institutions and active participation in some of the most relevant M&A transactions over the last decades. Riza’s partners, among them Marco Gonçalves and André Quaresma, will join XP Inc.’s M&A team, enhancing XP’s capabilities to better serve our corporate clients.

The transaction is aligned with XP Inc.’s strategy to reinforce its Capital Markets ecosystem. “There is a huge potential for development in the Brazilian Capital Market. At Issuer Services, XP is already number one in Fixed Income and REITs, in addition to being one of the three main players in Equities. A talented and experienced M&A team completes the suite of products and services we can offer to our corporate clients. It is our commitment and focus to deliver the best value proposition to our clients”, commented Pedro Mesquita, partner and head of XP Investment Banking.

“I am very happy with the opportunity to join the company that is transforming the Brazilian financial industry. By combining our M&A expertise with XP’s differentiated network, I am confident that we will follow a path of high growth over the coming years. Riza’s team and I are really excited to be part of this history, which is just starting,” commented Marco Gonçalves, CEO of Riza M&A and now head of M&A at XP Inc.

José Berenguer, CEO of Banco XP, believes the transaction further reinforces the wholesale bank ecosystem and will position XP as the best option for M&A in Brazil. “We are glad to have this differentiated M&A team to serve our clients all over Brazil. We want to become our clients’ first option when they plan for the most important deal of their lives,” Berenguer said.

About XP
XP is a leading, technology-driven financial services platform and a trusted provider of low-fee financial products and services in Brazil. XP’s mission is to disintermediate the legacy models of traditional financial institutions by:

Educating new classes of investors;
Democratizing access to a wider range of financial services;
Developing new financial products and technology applications to empower clients; and
Providing high-quality customer service and client experience in the industry in Brazil.

XP provides customers with two principal types of offerings, (i) financial advisory services for retail clients in Brazil, high-net-worth clients, international clients and corporate and institutional clients, and (ii) an open financial product platform providing access to over 600 investment products including equity and fixed income securities, mutual and hedge funds, structured products, life insurance, pension plans, real-estate investment funds (REITs) and others from XP, its partners and competitors.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date they were first issued and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond XP’s control.

XP’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to several factors, including but not limited to: competition, change in clients, regulatory measures, a change the external forces among other factors.

For any questions, please contact:

Carlos Lazar, Head of Investor Relations	Investor Contact: ir@xpi.com.br
André Martins, Investor Relations Specialist	IR Website: investors.xpinc.com
Natali Pimenta, Investor Relations Analyst

XP Inc. Acquires Riza M&A