Thematic Investing in Tech and Media, CM Research

Cyrus Mewawalla

Thematic Investing in Tech and Media

Thematic TMT investing

CM Research

CM Research is an independent research house based in London, England. We provide global thematic research in the Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) sectors. 

Our focus is on disruptive technologies: how will they unfold; which industries will be impacted; and who will be the ultimate winners and losers. 

Our aim is to help investors predict share prices and corporate executives stay one step ahead of the technology trends that are shaping their industry. 

We research technology investment themes in detail and then feed the results into a scorecard system to quantify the impact of several conflicting themes on individual stocks. 

Recent themes covered include internet TV, the Internet of Things, Big Data, Mobile payments, crowdfunding, artificial intelligence, the cloud, software defined networking and Generation Hashtag.

We cover the top 500 global TMT stocks by market capitalisation and several technology start-ups and pre-IPO companies too. 

In 2015, CM Research analysts outperformed the Bloomberg Benchmark Analyst Index - which measures how good analysts are at predicting stock prices - by 7.1%.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

During this decade, the digital data universe is expected to grow 75-fold from 1.2 zettabytes to 90 zettabytes. (1 zettabyte = 1 trillion gigabytes).Ask any CEO how he expects to sell more products and cut more costs and he will tell you that Big Data features prominently in his strategy. Big Data refers to the technology processes by which companies can profit from the large amounts of data to which they have access.But investors who want to ride the Big Data wave are finding that it is not that easy to identify where to invest.In this report, we delve deep down into the Big Data supply chain and look at where the investment opportunities really lie.&nbsp;

During this decade, the digital data universe is expected to grow 75-fold from 1.2 zettabytes to 90 zettabytes. (1 zettabyte = 1 trillion gigabytes).Ask any CEO how he expects to sell more products and cut more costs and he will tell you that Big Data features prominently in his strategy. Big Data refers to the technology processes by which companies can profit from the large amounts of data to which they have access.But investors who want to ride the Big Data wave are finding that it is not that easy to identify where to invest.In this report, we delve deep down into the Big Data supply chain and look at where the investment opportunities really lie.&nbsp;

European Event-Driven Analyst

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>M&amp;A reactivates DLC risk: Rio–Glencore talks triggered rare compression in the Rio Ltd/Plc spread, highlighting how strategic actions — not activism — force re-pricing of dual-listed structures.</li>
<li>Structure over quality: Holdco and DLC discounts tightened only where governance or M&amp;A pressure emerged; high-quality portfolios alone proved insufficient to drive convergence across 2025.</li>
<li>Event-Driven optionality remains: Wide discounts persist where enforcement is delayed, but asymmetric upside remains where regulators or corporates retain credible power to force structural outcomes.</li>
</ul>


M&amp;A reactivates DLC risk: Rio–Glencore talks triggered rare compression in the Rio Ltd/Plc spread, highlighting how strategic actions — not activism — force re-pricing of dual-listed structures.
Structure over quality: Holdco and DLC discounts tightened only where governance or M&amp;A pressure emerged; high-quality portfolios alone proved insufficient to drive convergence across 2025.
Event-Driven optionality remains: Wide discounts persist where enforcement is delayed, but asymmetric upside remains where regulators or corporates retain credible power to force structural outcomes.


Selected European HoldCos and DLC: January 2026 Report

Groupe Bruxelles Lambert Sa / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>GBL: discount 28.6% (Oct 31). Selling €1.7bn GBL Capital NAV for €1.5bn cash (+€0.4bn deferred); €0.6bn commitments transferred. Simpler, more liquid, greater buyback firepower—supports discount narrowing.</li>
<li>Sweden: Industrivärden discount 5.8% (near lows). Investor AB resilient; NAV SEK 1,024bn, TSR +5%. Quality ballast, limited discount alpha now.</li>
<li>Vivendi: 33.2% discount to €4.67 NAV; AMF-driven OPA path intact. Scenario-weighted value ~€4.17; prefer outright long or stub vs UMG/Banijay/MFE; trim if discount narrows to 10–15%.</li>
</ul>


GBL: discount 28.6% (Oct 31). Selling €1.7bn GBL Capital NAV for €1.5bn cash (+€0.4bn deferred); €0.6bn commitments transferred. Simpler, more liquid, greater buyback firepower—supports discount narrowing.
Sweden: Industrivärden discount 5.8% (near lows). Investor AB resilient; NAV SEK 1,024bn, TSR +5%. Quality ballast, limited discount alpha now.
Vivendi: 33.2% discount to €4.67 NAV; AMF-driven OPA path intact. Scenario-weighted value ~€4.17; prefer outright long or stub vs UMG/Banijay/MFE; trim if discount narrows to 10–15%.


Selected European HoldCos and DLC: October 2025 Report

<ul>
<li>Holdco discounts tightened in September: GBL to 28.1%, Industrivärden C to 6.9%, Investor B to 10.9%, Heineken Holding to 12.1%; Porsche SE widened to 31.6%; Rio Tinto DLC premium 21.6%.</li>
<li>Drivers: discounts compress with buybacks and bull markets. GBL cancelling repurchases; target sub-25% discount. Heineken Holding’s control structure sustains a spread. Swedish holdcos are investment-grade, high-quality, with low look-through discounts.</li>
<li>Catalysts: Vivendi’s AMF-driven mandatory-offer path, appeals pending, base-case €4.15 bid. Rio Tinto DLC unification could unlock $27–32B despite May vote. Porsche SE discount reflects deleveraging priority; legal overhang increasingly immaterial.</li>
</ul>


Holdco discounts tightened in September: GBL to 28.1%, Industrivärden C to 6.9%, Investor B to 10.9%, Heineken Holding to 12.1%; Porsche SE widened to 31.6%; Rio Tinto DLC premium 21.6%.
Drivers: discounts compress with buybacks and bull markets. GBL cancelling repurchases; target sub-25% discount. Heineken Holding’s control structure sustains a spread. Swedish holdcos are investment-grade, high-quality, with low look-through discounts.
Catalysts: Vivendi’s AMF-driven mandatory-offer path, appeals pending, base-case €4.15 bid. Rio Tinto DLC unification could unlock $27–32B despite May vote. Porsche SE discount reflects deleveraging priority; legal overhang increasingly immaterial.


Selected European HoldCos and DLC: September 2025 Report

<ul>
<li>GBL’s discount to NAV is compressing but remains wide versus peers — buybacks, portfolio moves, and dividends hint at a valuation shift.</li>
<li>Rio Tinto’s Australia-UK dual listing still trades at a premium — mean reversion potential remains as unification chatter simmers beneath the surface.</li>
<li>Vivendi’s looming mandatory offer from Bolloré reshapes stub trade dynamics — a narrowing discount points to accelerating corporate resolution.</li>
</ul>


GBL’s discount to NAV is compressing but remains wide versus peers — buybacks, portfolio moves, and dividends hint at a valuation shift.
Rio Tinto’s Australia-UK dual listing still trades at a premium — mean reversion potential remains as unification chatter simmers beneath the surface.
Vivendi’s looming mandatory offer from Bolloré reshapes stub trade dynamics — a narrowing discount points to accelerating corporate resolution.


Selected European HoldCos and DLC: July 2025 Report

France

Vivendi SE provides culture, entertainment, media, and communication services. The Company specializes in audiovisual and cinema, communications, magazines, gaming, live performance, and distribution platform activities. Vivendi serves customers worldwide.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Vivendi SE (VIV FP)

Big Data as an Investment Theme

During this decade, the digital data universe is expected to grow 75-fold from 1.2 zettabytes to 90 zettabytes. (1 zettabyte = 1 trillion...

CM Research

Selected European HoldCos and DLC: January 2026 Report

Rio’s Glencore talks finally put real pressure on the dual-listed structure, driving rare spread compression. Across holdcos, January confirms the...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Selected European HoldCos and DLC: October 2025 Report

GBL: asset sales boost liquidity, simplify the portfolio, and fuel buybacks—primed for discount compression. Keep Swedish holdcos as ballast;...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Selected European HoldCos and DLC: September 2025 Report

Holdco discounts tightened in Sept. GBL buybacks aid narrowing; Swedish names near lows; HEIO spread persists. Optionality: Vivendi OPA, Rio Tinto...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Selected European HoldCos and DLC: July 2025 Report

GBL’s discount is tightening, Rio Tinto’s dual listing offers DLC convergence upside, and Vivendi’s forced bid reshapes stub trade dynamics—three...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)