Shareholders in Arbuthnot Banking Group (ARBB) have approved the sale of shares in Secure Trust Bank (STB) that will leave the former parent as a sub-20% shareholder in the group. STB already has significant capital headroom to accommodate strong organic loan growth following the sale of Everyday Loans Group. Its plan to seek a Main Market listing will enable it to appeal to a broader investor audience, leaving it better placed to consider share issuance, providing greater flexibility to pursue a wider range of strategic options. This comes at a time of rapid growth and proliferation of contenders among specialist lenders and challenger banks.