Clayton Utz is advising Australian investment bank Macquarie Group Ltd. on a proposed $6 billion acquisition of the Esanda dealer finance portfolio held by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

Esanda comprises retail and wholesale dealer finance on motor vehicles across Australia and has net lending assets with a book value of $5.7 billion. The portfolio will become a part of Macquarie's automotive and equipment financing division and bring its total motor vehicle finance portfolio to about $12.5 billion.

The deal allows Macquarie to continue expanding beyond its core investment banking business, while ANZ shores up capital in the face of greater regulatory scrutiny.