National Bank Financial (NBF) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bieber Securities Inc., a Manitoba-based investment management firm that specializes in portfolio management for high net worth individuals and small to intermediate sized institutional clients.

Founded in 1995, Bieber has six offices in Manitoba and 37 employees. In addition to investment management services, Bieber also has corporate finance operations in the province of Manitoba.

Following closing, the operations of Bieber will be combined with NBF’s retail wealth management business. This transaction is part of NBF’s continued strategic focus on the growth of its wealth management platform in key Canadian markets.

Bieber is the third significant addition this calendar year to NBF’s wealth management operations, having previously acquired Aquilon Capital Corp. of Toronto and Groupe Everest of Montreal in the first quarter.

Completion of the Bieber transaction, which is expected in June, remains subject to a number of conditions and regulatory approvals, including approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange.