Contifinancial Buys 30% Stake in a Utah Subprime Lender

Continuing a cross-country expansion, Contifinancial Corp. has acquired a piece of a subprime lender that focuses on western states.

The New York-based finance company last week bought a 30% interest in CMG Mortgage, a Salt Lake City firm with about $360 million of annual volume through retail and wholesale channels. Terms were not disclosed.

The purchase caps a string of acquisitions and joint ventures by Contifinancial this year. Analysts said the company is eager to build its position as one of the industry's leading subprime lenders, with about $1.56 billion of originations annually.

With the stake in CMG Mortgage, Contifinancial, known primarily as a wholesaler, is building its geographic reach and its retail business, said Jerome M. Perelson, Contifinancial's chief financial officer.

Mr. Perelson hinted at more alliances in 1997, but stopped short of saying where the company is setting its sights next. "We're very interested in diversification of origination sources," he said.

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