Helloworld Travel buys currency chain Crown for US$87.4M
What's the deal? Helloworld TravelDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has agreed to acquire 100% of Crown Currency ExchangeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → for US$87.4M (roughly $96 million). The purchase adds 68 foreign exchange stores across Australia and about 200 staff to the ASX-listed travel group.
The terms: The price values Crown Currency Exchange at 6.1 times FY26 EBITDA. Helloworld is funding the deal through a NABDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → loan facility, a vendor share placement, and a vendor loan facility.
The numbers: Crown Currency Exchange generated underlying FY26 EBITDA of US$14.2M. Helloworld itself carries a market capitalisation of US$148.8M, and its shares are down 18% year to date.
What's the endgame? Helloworld runs retail travel agencies and travel distribution networks across Australia. It calls the acquisition "highly complementary" to that network, expecting expansion opportunities across its retail channels.
Who stays? Crown Currency Exchange chief executive officer Emily Palermo and chairman Greg Woolley will keep their roles. Helloworld executives, including chief executive officer Andrew Burnes, will join the Crown Currency Exchange board on completion.
Why now? Completion is targeted for the end of October 2026, subject to final confirmation from the ASX on shareholder approval requirements. Helloworld expects the deal to lift retail expansion from late October.
The signal: The move pushes a travel agency deeper into adjacent travel spending, folding currency exchange into the same customer journey. For Helloworld, buying an established retail footprint offers a faster path to growth than building one from scratch.
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