Witan Investment Trust announces changes to its global equity managers
Number of global managers reduced from five to three
Witan Investment Trust (WTAN) has announced a consolidation of its global managers from five to three. Existing managers Lansdowne Partners, Pzena Investment Management and Veritas Asset Management will each manage c 14% of WTAN’s assets (as at mid-May 2017 versus between 10% and 13% at end-April 2017). MFS Investment Management and Tweedy, Browne Company managed 5% and 3% respectively; their accounts will be closed. MFS was appointed in September 2004, when WTAN adopted its multi-manager approach and Tweedy, Browne in December 2013. WTAN’s CEO Andrew Bell says the change is intended to increase the trust’s performance potential. As a result, WTAN’s active share (a measure of how its portfolio differs from the benchmark) will increase from 70% at end-FY16 to 74%.
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HBM Healthcare Investments benefits from takeover of True North Therapeutics
Blood disorder specialist Bioverativ to pay up to $825m including milestones
HBM Healthcare Investments (HBMN), a Swiss-listed public/private equity healthcare investment company, is set to benefit from the acquisition of privately held True North Therapeutics by NASDAQ-listed Bioverativ for up to US$825m (including contingent payments).
Read more...Altamir – Merger of top 10 portfolio holding Melita and Vodafone Malta
Combination will create a new fully integrated provider of mobile, fixed line, broadband and TV services
Altamir (LTA) has announced the merger of Maltese telecoms operator Melita, in which it holds a 28.9% stake through the Apax France VIII fund, with Vodafone Malta to create a fully integrated communications company, which will operate under the Vodafone brand, distributing a wide range of services including Vodafone’s global portfolio of products. Announced in December 2015, the acquisition of Melita by Apax France VIII fund and Fortino Capital was completed in early 2016. At end-2016, Melita had been held in Altamir’s portfolio for less than one year and so was valued at its residual investment cost of €33.9m, representing 3.9% of portfolio fair value. At completion, Apax France VIII fund and Fortino Capital will own 51% of the combined company and Vodafone will own the remaining 49%.
Read more...Oakley Capital Investments – acquisition of Schülerhilfe from Deutsche Beteiligungs
Third new investment for Oakley Capital Private Equity Fund III within three weeks
Oakley Capital Investments (OCL) has announced a new investment in private tutoring services provider Schülerhilfe via Oakley Capital Private Equity Fund III, which has agreed to acquire the business from DBAG Fund VI, managed by Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG). The transaction fits Oakley Capital’s model of partnering with entrepreneurs, with Schülerhilfe CEO Dieter Werkhausen investing in the deal alongside Fund III. OCL’s share of the equity investment is expected to be around €42m, dependent on the final capital structure at completion, with the transaction being partly funded by a debt facility from Alcentra. The investment in Schülerhilfe follows Oakley Capital’s acquisitions of intellectual property and technology services provider TechInsights, announced earlier this week, and web-server management software platform Plesk, announced two weeks ago.
Read more...Deutsche Beteiligungs – sale of Schülerhilfe to Oakley Capital
Strategically important first divestment by DBAG Fund VI
Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) has announced the sale of private tutoring services provider Schülerhilfe to Oakley Capital Private Equity. The investment in Schülerhilfe was DBAG Fund VI’s first transaction in October 2013 and its sale marks the fund’s first divestment after less than four years. This is a strategically important transaction for DBAG as it represents the first realisation of an investment outside of the team’s traditional core sectors of expertise, confirming DBAG’s ability to complete deals successfully across a broader range of industries. The transaction price has not been disclosed but DBAG management has confirmed that the sale was at a premium to Schülerhilfe’s portfolio valuation and will contribute around €9m to DBAG’s net income in the third quarter of FY17.
Read more...Deutsche Beteiligungs – significant uplift to FY17 earnings guidance
FY17 net income projected to exceed comparable FY16 net income by more than 20%
Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) has announced that it expects to report net income for the year to 30 September 2017 that significantly exceeds the €46.3m comparable income for the prior year, equating to net income of more than €56m for FY17. Previous guidance, first given at the time of the FY16 results and confirmed with Q117 results, was for a moderate 10% to 20% decline in net income. The revised forecast is based on c €44m preliminary net income for H117, which follows DBAG’s announcement today of the divestment of its stake in Romaco Group.
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