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Latest› RIAs› Story
RIAs · April 29, 2026

Hightower lifts a Texas team with $850M in client assets

The aggregator continues a long lateral run into the Sun Belt.

Hightower lifts a Texas team with $850M in client assets Photo · Daniel R. Vance for InvestLin
The brief — what to know
Driving the news The deal closed late Monday after a six-week negotiation, according to two people briefed on the matter.
Why it matters It tells you where the SEC is going to be looking next quarter — and where exam letters will land.
Between the lines Read this as a regulatory signal more than a market one.
What's next Watch for the transition committee's first internal memo, expected within the week.

Custodial rivals were watching closely, hoping to scoop up assets in any post-merger turbulence. Industry observers expect a small wave of follow-on deals from competitors. The combined entity is expected to manage just over four billion dollars when the transaction closes. Both sides described the transaction as transformational, but neither would discuss financial terms on the record. The transition team has been on site since Tuesday, walking through technology integration with the home-office staff.

The transition team has been on site since Tuesday, walking through technology integration with the home-office staff. Regulatory filings are not expected to slow the timeline; the deal is expected to close in the third quarter. Talent retention will be the principal concern, executives said in an internal memo reviewed by InvestLin. It is the kind of deal that says less about price than about positioning for the next cycle.

Why it matters
It tells you where the SEC is going to be looking next quarter — and where exam letters will land.

The detail

Compensation for the senior partners is rumored to be tied to a five-year retention schedule. Compliance staff inside the acquirer have been preparing for the integration since early March. Custodial rivals were watching closely, hoping to scoop up assets in any post-merger turbulence. Both sides described the transaction as transformational, but neither would discuss financial terms on the record. The deal is the latest in a wave of consolidation that has reshaped the channel over the past three years.

“Texas remains the single best lateral market in the country for senior teams.” Hightower deal lead

Clients have been notified by letter and an email follow-up; the firm expects minimal attrition. The combined entity is expected to manage just over four billion dollars when the transaction closes. Industry observers expect a small wave of follow-on deals from competitors. The transition team has been on site since Tuesday, walking through technology integration with the home-office staff.

By the numbers
14
funds under SEC review
$26B
in assets touched
Q3
when responses are due
4
sweep cycles in 24 months

What it means for advisors

The transaction values the firm at roughly twelve times trailing EBITDA, according to people familiar with the matter. Compliance staff inside the acquirer have been preparing for the integration since early March. Regulatory filings are not expected to slow the timeline; the deal is expected to close in the third quarter. Industry observers expect a small wave of follow-on deals from competitors.

  • Clients have been notified by letter and an email follow-up; the firm expects minimal attrition. The deal is the latest in a wave of consolidation that has reshaped the channel over the past three years.
  • Insiders say the firm has been quietly building out its alternatives platform since last summer. It is the second strategic acquisition the buyer has closed this quarter and its largest by AUM.
  • Insiders say the firm has been quietly building out its alternatives platform since last summer. Custodial rivals were watching closely, hoping to scoop up assets in any post-merger turbulence.

The transaction values the firm at roughly twelve times trailing EBITDA, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal is the latest in a wave of consolidation that has reshaped the channel over the past three years. The combined entity is expected to manage just over four billion dollars when the transaction closes. Regulatory filings are not expected to slow the timeline; the deal is expected to close in the third quarter.

What's next
Watch for the transition committee's first internal memo, expected within the week.
DV
About the author

Daniel R. Vance

RIA Channel Correspondent · Boston

Covers RIA M&A, aggregators and the breakaway broker world from his desk in Boston.

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