rea10332152-scaled-e1698075119389

With the acquisition of IK Partners, Wendel initiates its development strategy in third-party asset management

Published : 19.10.2023
#Edito

Dear shareholders,

I know that you all pay close attention to Wendel’s news, so you will no doubt have seen how dense and varied the last six months have been. During this time, we have presented our new strategic directions, moved forward with plans to develop a third-party asset management business, sold our stake in Constantia Flexibles, acquired Scalian, and strengthened our financial capabilities through the issue of bonds exchangeable for Bureau Veritas shares and the extension of our maturities. Wendel’s teams have been extremely busy, and I would like to thank them warmly for using their considerable collective talent to advance the company’s rapid development. Day after day, the roadmap I sketched out for you on March 16 is becoming a reality.

And today, Wendel is taking a major step forward in the implementation of its strategic ambitions by entering into exclusive negotiations with a view to acquiring IK Partners from its partners.

IK Partners is one of Europe’s most recognized PE firms, with teams across seven Northern European countries focusing on the mid-market segment. The company invests in the Business Services, Healthcare, Consumer and Industrials sectors in France, Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia and the UK. IK Partners manages nearly €12 billion of private assets on behalf of third-party investors and has invested in over 180 companies since its creation. The Company’s Investment teams have an excellent track record, having collectively achieved an average gross annual Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of around 26% for the 116 operations completed since 2012.

By 2024, IK Partners’ activities are expected to generate around €150 million in management fees and around €60 million in pre-tax Fee Related Earnings (FRE). Given its financial strength, Wendel will have the resources to support IK Partners’ development over the long term, as well as to invest in its funds to gain access to the value created by its teams.

For Wendel and its shareholders, this transaction has three main dimensions:

  • our aim to rapidly strengthen Wendel’s recurring income by adding the management fees received by IK Partners;
  • a special focus on aligning our mutual interests in a lasting way, since the way the transaction is structured means that IK Partners’ teams will be committed to working alongside Wendel over the long term;
  • the first concrete expression of our ambition to build, by 2027, a platform managing multiple private asset classes, alongside our historical investment activity. We will therefore continue to provide lasting support to attractive companies driven by long-term trends, as an active shareholder with value creation as our compass.

Implementing this ambitious strategy will accelerate Wendel’s diversification, boost recurring cash flow generation and enhance our attractiveness as an investor and as a listed company, resulting in a greater dividend payout capacity for our shareholders. In addition, confident in the value-creating potential of our strategy, we have announced a €100 million share buyback program. These shares bought back on the market will be used to ‘’pay’’ for our future acquisitions. So today we intend to seize the opportunity to buy back our shares at a significant discount, convinced that the success of our strategy will help both to increase the share price and reduce the discount.

Wendel’s considerable potential is becoming clearer every day: our family heritage, solid balance sheet, strong investment capabilities, high-quality portfolio and talented teams will all stand us in good stead for the future.

Laurent Mignon, Group CEO

Consult the press release setting out the transaction in more detail on our website.

Click here to read this letter in PDF format. 

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN

This announcement does not, and shall not, in any circumstances constitute a public offering, nor an offer to sell or to subscribe, nor a solicitation to offer to purchase or to subscribe securities in any jurisdiction. I therefore certify that:

  • I am a resident of a country or jurisdiction where I am qualified or authorized to have access to the information and documents presented on this site;
  • I am not a resident of or physically present in the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan;
  • I have read and understand, and agree to comply with, the terms and conditions described above and that I am eligible to access the press release in accordance with such terms and conditions.
  • I have read and understand the foregoing, and hereby make the certifications above and agree to comply with all of the above restrictions:
Yes, I certify the foregoing
No, I don’t certify the foregoing

Disclaimer

Access to the information available in the following pages may be restricted in certain countries by applicable laws and regulations. Persons who are physically located in those jurisdictions and who would like to access the information available in the following pages must inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

France

In France, the information available in the following pages may be freely accessed by French residents who are physically located in France.

European Economic Area

With respect to each Member State of the European Economic Area other than France (the “Relevant Member State”), the information available in the following pages is directed only at qualified investors as defined in Article 2 (e) of the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and the Council of June 14, 2017, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”).
These restrictions with respect to any Relevant Member State apply in addition to any other restrictions which may be applicable in the Relevant Member State.
No action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make available bonds issued by Wendel to any retail investor in the European Economic Area. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling bonds issued by Wendel or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the European Economic Area has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the bonds referred to in the following pages or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the information available in the following pages is directed only at qualified investors as defined in Article 2 (e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
No action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make available bonds issued by Wendel to any retail investor in the United Kingdom. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic laws by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling bonds issued by Wendel or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the United Kingdom has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the securities referred to in the following pages or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.
The information available in the following pages is directed only at persons who (i) are outside the United Kingdom, (ii) are “investment professionals” falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended) (the “Order”), (iii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.”) of the Order or (iv) are other persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons in (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) together being referred to as “Relevant Persons”). Any investment or investment activity to which this website and the information contained herein relates is available only to Relevant Persons in the United Kingdom and will be engaged in only with such persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on the information contained in this website.
The information available in the following pages is directed only at Relevant Persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which the information available in the following pages relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons.

United States

The information available in the following pages does not constitute an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of offers to purchase or subscribe for, securities in the United States. The securities referred to therein have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Wendel does not intend to register any portion of the proposed offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering in the United States.

Australia, Canada, Japan and South Africa

The information available in the following pages may not be accessed by persons located in Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa.

Other Countries

All persons residing outside of France and outside of the European Economic Area, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa who wish to access the documents contained on this website should first ensure that they are not subject to local laws or regulations that prohibit or restrict their right to access this website, or require registration or approval for any acquisition of securities by them. No such registration or approval has been obtained in France or outside France. Wendel assumes no responsibility if there is a violation of applicable law and regulations by any person.
By accessing to the information available in the following pages, you confirm that you are in compliance, and agree to comply, with the restrictions described above.

I confirm
I do not confirm

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Access to the information and documents on this portion of the website is restricted for regulatory reasons.

You are requested to review the following information and make the following confirmation each time you seek to access this restricted information. Your confirmation must be true and accurate.

Please enter your country of residence :

Next

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The materials contained herein are not for general release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States of America, Australia, Japan, Canada or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws or regulations of such jurisdiction. Access to the information and documents on this portion of the website is restricted for regulatory reasons. You are requested to review the following information and make the following confirmation each time you seek to access this restricted information. Your confirmation must be true and accurate.

The information contained in this section of the website of Wendel (the “Seller”) (a) is only intended for, and may only be accessed by, or distributed or disseminated, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, to persons resident and physically present outside the United States of America (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia, the “United States”), Australia, Canada, or Japan, and resident and physically present in a jurisdiction where to do so will not constitute a violation of the local securities laws or regulations of such jurisdiction, and (b) does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or acquire any securities of the Bureau Veritas (the “Company”) in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, or any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation of the local securities laws or regulations of such jurisdiction.

The securities of the Company referred to in this section of the website (the “Securities”) have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or with any securities regulatory authority of any state of the United States for offer or sale as part of their distribution and may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. The Securities have not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada or Japan, or any other jurisdiction in which it would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures, and therefore may not be offered or sold to or for the account or benefit of any person having a registered address in, or located or resident in, Australia, Canada, Japan or any other jurisdiction in which it would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures.

Access to the information contained on this portion of the website may be illegal in certain jurisdictions, and only certain categories of persons may be authorized to access such information and documents. All persons who wish to have access to the documents contained in this section of the Seller’s website should first ensure that they are not subject to local laws or regulations that prohibit or restrict their right to access this section of the website, or require registration or approval for any acquisition of securities by them. No such registration or approval has been or will be obtained. The Seller assumes no responsibility if there is a violation of applicable law and regulations by any person.

If you are not permitted to view materials on this webpage or are in any doubt as to whether you are permitted to view these materials, please exit this webpage.

I therefore certify that:

  1. I am resident and physically present in a country outside the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan;
  2. I am authorized to access the information and documents contained on this portion of the website without being subject to any legal restriction and without any further action required by the Seller;
  3. I will not transmit or otherwise send any information contained in this website to publications with a general circulation in the United States; and
  4. I have read, understand and agree to comply with all of the restrictions set forth above.
I confirm
I cannot confirm

DISCLAIMER – IMPORTANT

Due to applicable legal restrictions, the information contained in this section of the website is restricted and is not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States of America, Australia, Canada or Japan, or any other jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Return to the homepage