Fairstone adds £135m with Belfast IFA acquisition
- Simon Bourke
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
19th August 2026
Deal summary
Fairstone has acquired Ferguson Hill Asset Management, a financial planning and wealth management firm based in Ballyhackamore, Belfast. Ferguson Hill manages approximately £135m in client assets and has three financial advisers and a Chartered financial planner.
The transaction expands Fairstone’s presence in Northern Ireland and follows a partnership between the two businesses that began in March 2024, when Ferguson Hill entered Fairstone’s Downstream Buy Out programme.
About Fairstone
Fairstone is a national wealth management and financial planning group providing independent financial advice, investment management, retirement planning, mortgages and protection. It operates from more than 50 locations across the UK and Ireland and oversees approximately £23bn of client investment funds.
Acquisitions form a central part of its growth strategy, with many completed through its Downstream Buy Out model. The approach involves partnering with financial planning firms before they become fully part of Fairstone, providing a period for integration ahead of the final acquisition.
About Ferguson Hill Asset Management
Ferguson Hill is an independent financial planning and wealth management business established in Belfast in 2013. The firm provides investment advice, financial planning and tax advice to individual and corporate clients across Northern Ireland.
The Ballyhackamore business is led by principals Stephen Hill and Claire Geddis. It first partnered with Fairstone in 2024 before progressing to full ownership by the wider group.
Why is Fairstone acquiring Ferguson Hill Asset Management?
Ferguson Hill strengthens Fairstone’s existing Northern Ireland operation while adding £135m of client assets and an established Belfast advice team. The transaction also follows the pattern of Fairstone’s recent acquisitions in Aberdeen and the North East, where firms have moved from an initial DBO partnership into full ownership after a period working within the wider group.
What happens next?
Ferguson Hill is now part of Fairstone and will operate from the group’s Ballyhackamore location. Fairstone continues to provide independent, whole-of-market financial advice, with Ferguson Hill’s team gaining access to the wider group’s infrastructure, investment proposition and regulatory support.
Fairstone’s other recent acquisitions
Grainger Financial Planning – July 2026
Fairstone acquired Sunderland-based Grainger Financial Planning following a DBO partnership that began in May 2024. The firm manages approximately £120m for almost 400 clients.
Riverstone Wealth Management – July 2026
Morpeth-based Riverstone Wealth Management joined Fairstone alongside Grainger. Established in 2009, the firm advises more than 65 clients and manages approximately £63m in client assets.
City Gate Aberdeen and Albyn Associates – July 2026
Fairstone completed the acquisition of two Aberdeen-based IFAs and brought them together within its new Northern Scotland hub in Westhill. City Gate manages more than £100m and Albyn Associates more than £80m in client assets.
Considering your next chapter?
At Chapters Capital, we specialise in financial planning and wealth management M&A.
If you own an IFA, financial planning or wealth management firm, we can help you understand the options available to you, from pre-sale planning and selling your firm to retire, through to sell and stay structures and partnership programmes.
For a confidential conversation about valuation, buyer fit or your route to market, contact our team.
📞 +44 (0)204 519 7811 | ✉️ info@chapterscapital.co.uk
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