FirstCash to merge with Cash America in a $2.4bn deal.

FirstCash, an international operator of pawn stores, agreed to merge with Cash America, a provider of financial services, in a $2.4bn deal. “This is a transformational combination that creates compelling growth and value creation opportunities for both companies’ stakeholders. The increased scale resulting from this combination will enable us to serve more consumers in more markets than ever before. We will also benefit from significant run-rate synergies and robust cash flows that will enhance our ability to pursue expansion plans in the Latin American region, which we expect to be our primary store growth vehicle,” Rick Wessel, First Cash Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.