CW Advisors and Waverly Advisors are continuing to build on their respective M&A strategies as each firm inks new deals in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Boston-based CW Advisors announced Tuesday that it has acquired Delta Financial Group, a New Jersey RIA managing $1.3 billion in client assets. Delta, based in Basking Ridge, adds to CW Advisors’ existing operations in the region, which now spans six offices from metro New York to Richmond, Virginia.
The national RIA has also acquired Leathe & Associates, a smaller RIA in Eliot, Maine founded by Jeffrey Leathe in 2004.
“The Delta team brings further expertise to our organization ... and expands our robust presence in the Mid-Atlantic region, which now includes six offices, from metro New York City to Richmond, Virginia,” Scott Dell’Orfano, chief executive of CW Advisors said in a statement.
With the new additions, CW Advisors now oversees more than $12 billion in assets and operates 15 offices across the country with a headcount of over 125 employees. Last month, the firm added Aspire Wealth Management and Fernwood Investment Management in a double-deal that bolstered its footprint in its home base of Boston.
Meanwhile, Alabama-based Waverly Advisors added GGM Wealth Advisors, a Baltimore firm with more than $400 million in assets under management. The move marks Waverly’s entrance into the Maryland and Virginia markets and adds to its expanding national footprint.
Led by Jeff Johnson and Michael Little, GGM was founded in 1996 and has served a high-net-worth client base across the Baltimore region. The entire GGM team will join Waverly following the transaction, which closed on March 21.
"With the first quarter of 2025 nearly complete, Waverly has already moved into three new markets," Nick Trepp, partner and head of corporate development at Wealth Partners Capital Group, said Tuesday. "We expect the firm will continue to experience strong growth as the year progresses."
The GGM acquisition is Waverly’s 22nd since 2021, following an equity investment from Wealth Partners Capital Group and HGGC’s Aspire Holdings. In January, the RIA officially kicked off its 2025 deal season with its acquisition of Dickinson Investment Advisors in Iowa.
With the latest deal, Waverly’s assets under management now total approximately $16.9 billion.
A drop in interest rates and easier access to capital has reignited appetite among private equity-backed consolidators, who accounted for 53% of RIA deals so far this year- their highest share since 2021 according to DeVoe & Company.
Also, Advisor CRM announces a new data integration partnership to ease the pain of client onboarding.
Meanwhile, Merrill Lynch intends to continue building its alternative investment platform for wealthy clients.
The co-founder of IFG discussed with InvestmentNews the unique opportunity that remaining independent offers to build a successful firm.
Three industry leaders will join the hybrid RIA's president and LPL alum, Andy Kalbaugh, to help guide its organic and merger-based growth strategy.
Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.
Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.
