Navient Corporation NAVI has entered an agreement to sell its Government Services business to an affiliate of Gallant Capital Partners, LLC, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Navient’s Government Services business includes Navient Business Processing Group, Duncan Solutions, Gila, Pioneer Credit Recovery and Navient BPO. About 1,200 employees will be included in the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.
Rationale Behind NAVI’s Sale of Government Services Unit
Navient's Government Services business has been part of its broader portfolio, offering various services suited to its client's needs in the education and government sectors. NAVI’s agreement to divest its Government Services business enables it to focus on core operations in education finance and business processing solutions.
NAVI’s move to divest Government Services business comes when companies increasingly seek to optimize their business models and concentrate on their primary areas of expertise. By offloading this segment, Navient is expected to enhance its operational efficiency and financial performance.
Navient’s Efforts to Improve Operating Efficiency
The company aims to improve operating efficiency by undertaking various cost-control initiatives. Its expenses declined, seeing a compound annual growth rate of 4.9% over the last four years (ended 2023). Though the trend reversed in the first nine months of 2024, ongoing efforts by the company for cost reduction remain encouraging. In January 2024, it announced plans to undertake growth initiatives, including three major actions to reduce overall costs.
In line with this, NAVI entered a servicing outsourcing agreement with MOHELA in April. Outsourcing is a key facilitator of its ability to achieve lasting expense reduction. Nearly 900 Navient employees have now transferred to MOHELA, and its variable cost-servicing model is in effect.
The company implemented a flatter organizational structure in the second quarter of 2024 to achieve its objectives, focusing on servicing and BPS transitions, expense reductions, and preparing for an 80-90% decline in employee count. Such moves are likely to reduce its expense base and spur bottom-line growth.
NAVI’s Price Performance & Zacks Rank
In the past six months, NAVI shares have declined 5.5% against the industry’s rise of 26.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, the company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Financial Firms Taking Similar Steps
In November 2024, the bank subsidiary of Flagstar Financial, Inc. FLG, Flagstar Bank, N.A., closed the previously announced sale of its residential mortgage servicing, mortgage servicing rights and the third-party origination platform to Mr. Cooper Group Inc. COOP for $1.3 billion in cash.
FLG’s spinoff of residential mortgage servicing to COOP reflects the former’s ongoing efforts to simplify its business and diversify its loan portfolio.
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