Takeover target Link has ditched a proposed $266 million acquisition of a Pepper loan servicing business in Europe a year after announcing plans for the buyout, and revealed keen interest from potential buyers for its prized 44 per cent stake in electronic conveyancing group PEXA.

Link went through 12 months of regulatory angst and wrangles over commercial aspects of the Pepper deal which was increasingly complicated by COVID-19 disruptions and uncertainties. A 12-month deadline ran out on January 31, so the acquisition has been terminated. New Link chief executive Vivek Bhatia said it was a sensible decision in the end, given the world had “quite dramatically changed” in the pandemic.