The private equity owners of ZPG – which includes brokerage Mojo Mortgages, Confused.com, Money.co.uk and Tempcover, a temporary car insurance provider – may be selling some brands. 

A report on Sky News over the weekend suggested Silver Lake Partners – the US private equity firm that snapped up ZPG for a £2.2 billion deal in 2018 – has hired two investment banks to launch a review of strategic options for the assets which sit within holding company ZPG.

Sky says JP Morgan and Arma Partners have been engaged by Silver Lake and “a series of sale processes for its various assets is seen as the likeliest outcome.”

Other brands in the portfolio include Zoopla, Alto Software Group, Hometrack, Uswitch and Primelocation.

Sky News says: “Industry sources said there was little or no chance of ZPG being sold in one transaction, with its assets more likely to be offloaded through several processes operating on distinct timetables.

“The valuation that ZPG’s subsidiaries might fetch in future sale processes was unclear this weekend, with some potentially worth less than their implied value in the 2018 takeover.

“Many of ZPG’s businesses operate in markets which have come under increasing pricing pressure, with growing competition placing a tighter squeeze on margins.”

A spokesperson for Zoopla told us on Sunday afternoon::“As part of the normal course of business, the board that oversees the ZPG group of companies regularly evaluates and sometimes engages specialist advisers to assess opportunities to best position the businesses for long-term growth and success. 

“Speculation around this is not a surprise. It is a sign of a healthy set of businesses across ZPG and underscores the strength of what they offer to customers and the value we continue to build.”