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- Guardian Capital Group
Guardian Capital Group Acquisition, Valuation & Financials
Guardian Capital Group was acquired by Desjardins for $1.2B in August 2025.
Guardian Capital Group acquisition price
$1.2B
Acquired by Desjardins · Aug 2025
Guardian Capital Group EBITDA multiple at acquisition
11.6x
EV/EBITDA · Aug 2025
Guardian Capital Group market cap before the deal
$1.2B
TSE: GCG.A · Jan 2026
About Guardian Capital Group
Guardian Capital Group Ltd is a diversified financial services company. It operates in three reportable segment Investment Management and Corporate Activities and Investments. Investment Management primarily involves earning management fees relating to investment management services provided to clients; and Corporate Activities and Investments relates to the investment of the Company’s securities holdings, as well as corporate management and development activities. It derives maximum revenue from Investment Management segment. Geographically, the company operates in Canada, United Kingdom, United States and others, of which it derives maximum revenue from Canada.
Founded
1962
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Investment management
Valuation
$1.2B (acquired Aug 2025)
Guardian Capital Group Acquisition
Guardian Capital Group was acquired by Desjardins for $1.2B on 28 August 2025.
The acquisition price implies a 11.6x EBITDA multiple.
Guardian Capital Group Limited, a Toronto-based asset manager with nearly 60 years as a publicly listed company on the TSX (GCG, GCG.A), manages client assets and has generated approximately 18% annual total return to shareholders over the last 15 years. Desjardins Group, the largest cooperative financial group in North America with C$501.3 billion in assets as of June 30, 2025, operates through Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. (DGAM), an affiliate, and offers a full range of financial products via extensive networks across Canada. On August 28, 2025, Guardian entered a definitive agreement for Desjardins to take it private in an all-cash transaction at C$68.00 per share, valuing equity at C$1.67 billion—a 66% premium to Class A shares' last close and 48% to common shares. The deal unites Desjardins Global Asset Management and Guardian to create a platform managing approximately C$280 billion in assets under management and advisement, enhancing scale, capabilities, and global reach beyond Quebec and Canada. Strategic rationale includes accelerating Desjardins' asset management growth following its 2023 acquisition of Guardian’s life insurance, mutual fund, and investment distribution networks; Guardian CEO George Mavroudis will lead the combined business. An independent committee of Guardian’s board unanimously recommended the transaction as fair, with the full board (interested directors abstaining) approving it. Closing is targeted for Q1 2026, subject to shareholder approval at a Q4 2025 special meeting, court approval, Competition Act regulatory clearance, and customary conditions. Desjardins Capital Markets advised Guardian financially; legal counsel included BLG for Guardian and Torys for Desjardins.
| Acquirer | Date | Type | Price | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 2025 | Strategic M&A | $1.2B | 11.6x |
Guardian Capital Group as a Public Company
Guardian Capital Group traded as TSE: GCG.A before it was taken private. Its acquisition was announced in August 2025. January 2026 is its last month on record as a listed company, with a market cap of $1.2B and an enterprise value of $1.2B.
Over the 4 years before that, its market cap grew from $739M in January 2022 to $1.2B.
Guardian Capital Group market cap while listed
Guardian Capital Group EV/Revenue (LTM) while listed
| As of | Market cap | Revenue (LTM) | EBITDA (LTM) | EBITDA margin | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | $1.2B | - | - | - | - | - |
| Jan 2025 | $826M | $228M | $35M | 15% | 3.6x | 23.7x |
| Jan 2024 | $797M | $183M | $47M | 26% | 4.2x | 16.2x |
| Jan 2023 | $768M | $218M | $62M | 29% | 3.5x | 12.3x |
| Jan 2022 | $739M | $225M | $74M | 33% | 3.2x | 9.9x |
Market cap, enterprise value and last-twelve-month figures are month-end values, up to the last month Guardian Capital Group traded.
Acquisitions by Guardian Capital Group
Guardian Capital Group has acquired 5 companies to date.
Last acquisition by Guardian Capital Group was on June 20th 2024. Guardian Capital Group acquired Galibier Capital Management for undisclosed valuation.
Latest Acquisitions by Guardian Capital Group
| Description | Galibier Capital Management is a Montreal-headquartered investment firm that manages alternative strategies for institutional and high-net-worth individual clients. The firm oversees funds focused on long-short equity, event-driven opportunities, and private debt in North American markets. Galibier launched its flagship strategy in 2012, emphasizing risk-adjusted returns through proprietary research and disciplined portfolio construction. | Sterling Capital Management is a New Castle-based investment firm providing portfolio management and advisory services to high-net-worth individuals. The company offers customized strategies in equities, fixed income, and alternative assets, with a focus on long-term wealth preservation. Headquartered in New Castle, Delaware, Sterling manages assets through separately managed accounts and serves clients primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region. Founded in 1998, it emphasizes risk-adjusted returns via fundamental analysis and maintains a boutique approach to client relationships. | Q-Free ASA is a Norway-based supplier of Intelligent Transport Systems founded in 1984 near Trondheim. It originally developed electronic toll collection systems and has expanded to deliver complete solutions worldwide. | ModernAdvisor is a Vancouver-based robo-advisor managing ETF portfolios for Canadian investors. It charges 0.35% to 0.65% fees on $500 million in assets, diversifying across 20 funds tracking S&P 500, bonds, and gold. Algorithms rebalance quarterly with tax-loss harvesting. Launched in 2013, it serves 10,000 accounts through CI Institutional partnerships. | |
| HQ Country | |||||
| HQ City | Toronto | Charlotte, NC | Trondheim | Vancouver | |
| Deal Date | 20 Jun 2024 | 2 Feb 2024 | 29 Sep 2023 | 30 Jan 2020 | |
| Valuation | undisclosed | $70M | $126M | undisclosed | |
| EV/Revenue | |||||
| EV/EBITDA | |||||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Guardian Capital Group acquisitions and their M&A valuation multiples. Start Free Trial | |||||
Guardian Capital Group Competitors
Guardian Capital Group competitors include listed companies like WAM Capital and JM Financial, and private ones like Fundamental, LIQUiDITY Group, Neo Asset Management and Edelweiss Mutual Fund.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | - | $1.4B | - | ||
| Private | - | $1.4B | - | ||
| Private | $19M | $700M | 36.8x | ||
| Private | - | $321M | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $229M | $1.2B | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $469M | $1.2B | 3.9x |
Guardian Capital Group Public Comps
Guardian Capital Group is no longer listed, but its public comps include WAM Capital, JM Financial, Edelweiss Financial Services, Creades, Frey, Oakley Capital, Daishin Securities, Prospect Capital, Gulf Investment House and WAM Leaders.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $229M | - | 5.4x | - | - | - | |||
| $469M | - | 2.6x | 3.9x | - | - | |||
| $606M | - | 2.1x | - | - | - | |||
| $131M | - | 9.6x | - | - | - | |||
| $266M | $174M | 10.5x | 10.4x | 16.0x | 19.2x | |||
| $90M | - | 16.5x | - | - | - | |||
| $731M | - | 13.0x | 11.0x | - | - | |||
| $463M | - | 9.9x | 7.2x | - | - | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Guardian Capital Group competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Guardian Capital Group
| When was Guardian Capital Group founded? | Guardian Capital Group was founded in 1962. |
| Where is Guardian Capital Group headquartered? | Guardian Capital Group is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. |
| Is Guardian Capital Group publicly listed? | No, Guardian Capital Group was acquired by Desjardins in August 2025. |
| Who acquired Guardian Capital Group? | Guardian Capital Group was acquired by Desjardins in August 2025. |
| How much was Guardian Capital Group acquired for? | Guardian Capital Group was acquired for $1.2B in August 2025. |
| Which companies are comparable to Guardian Capital Group? | Companies comparable to Guardian Capital Group include Fundamental, LIQUiDITY Group, Neo Asset Management, Edelweiss Mutual Fund, WAM Capital and JM Financial. |
| What was Guardian Capital Group's market cap before the acquisition? | Guardian Capital Group had a market cap of $1.2B in January 2026, its last month on record as a listed company. |
| How many companies has Guardian Capital Group acquired? | Guardian Capital Group has acquired 5 companies, including Galibier Capital Management, Sterling Capital Management, Q-Free ASA, ModernAdvisor and Alta Capital Management. |
| What was the largest acquisition by Guardian Capital Group? | The $126M acquisition of Q-Free ASA in September 2023 is the largest acquisition Guardian Capital Group has made to date. |
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