Anglo-South African financial services group, Investec expects to raise about $242 million from the sale of around 10% of its asset management business, which will be renamed ‘Ninety One’, when it is spun off in March.
Investec, which manages more than $154 billion in assets, announced plans for the split last year, saying the asset manager would be better able to focus on creating long term value away from Investec’s banking and wealth operations.
The demerger follows similar moves by Prudential, Old Mutual and Deutsche Bank as fees fall and costs rise in the fund management sector.
Joint Chief Executive, Fani Titi says the move is in the interest of shareholders and clients.
“Shareholders will benefit from direct ownership of two attractive, independent businesses with management teams focused on long-term growth and value creation,” he says.
Investec shareholders will receive one Ninety One share for every two Investec shares, both for its Johannesburg and London-listed stock.
In a circular to shareholders on yesterday, Investec declared that the expected proceeds are based on its valuation of the Ninety One businesses at 1.89 billion pounds as of October 25 this year.
Actual proceeds of the Ninety One share sale will only be determined at the time of the split, which is scheduled for March 13 and requires shareholder approval. The business will have a dual-listing in London and Johannesburg.
