Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

HK Type 4 license through Ballingal Investment Advisors Ltd. 

I'm a highly experienced sell-side analyst with in excess of 22 years of covering Asia Pacific equities, the past 19 years immersed in event strategies encompassing M&A risk arbitrage, directional long/short, stub trades and restructuring.  

My background also includes accountancy (liquidation/bankruptcy/receivership) earlier in my career and as a chief financial officer of a global commodity company based in the US and Mexico.

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

Investment administrator <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/praemium-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9360:1" rel="noopener">Praemium Ltd (PPS AU)</a> has rejected a <a href="https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-02446233-3A580069?access_token=83ff96335c2d45a094df02a206a39ff4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-binding proposal</a> from key competitor <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/netwealth-group-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:25951:1" rel="noopener">Netwealth (NWL AU)</a>.
By way of a Scheme, Netwealth was offering 1 new NWL share for every 11.96 PPS shares, or an indicative Offer consideration of A$1.50, a 29% premium to last close, and a lifetime high.
PPS' board said the Proposal did not appropriately value Praemium’s current performance, near-term trajectory, growth momentum, and was not representative of recent transaction premia in the Australian platform and funds administration space.
This space is indeed hot. When PPS peer <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/onevue-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24327:1" rel="noopener">Onevue Holdings (OVH AU)</a> was taken private in the middle of last year (as discussed by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/janaghan-jeyakumar-cfa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="accounts:3173" rel="noopener">Janaghan Jeyakumar</a> in<a href="https://skr.ma/rGK8k" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> OneVue-Iress: Australian Deal Trading Wide</a>), the independent expert flagged (<a href="https://onevue.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Scheme-Booklet_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">page 132</a>) 12 peers (including PPS and NWL). Of the remaining 10:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/powerwrap-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:30664:1" rel="noopener">Powerwrap Ltd (PWL AU)</a> was taken private (by PPS) last October;</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/xplore-wealth-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12161:1" rel="noopener">xplore (XPL AU)</a> was taken private by <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hub24-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12336:1" rel="noopener">Hub24 Ltd (HUB AU)</a> in <a href="https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-02349028-2A1284538?access_token=83ff96335c2d45a094df02a206a39ff4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March</a>;</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/link-administration-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:970:1" rel="noopener">Link Administration Holdings (LNK AU)</a> was subject to Offers from SS&amp;C and Carlyle, but in May this year opted to go the IPO route for PEXA, the digital property settlement platform - <a href="https://skr.ma/CrBHo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link Admin (LNK AU) Goes IPO Route For PEXA Afterall</a>;
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/iress-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15342:1" rel="noopener">Iress Ltd (IRE AU)</a> backed an Offer from EQT but the two were <a href="https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-02422609-3A576043?access_token=83ff96335c2d45a094df02a206a39ff4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unable to agree</a> to a transaction in September - <a href="https://skr.ma/Rm5oC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iress (IRE AU) Accepts EQT's Latest Proposal</a>;</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mainstream-group-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:30611:1" rel="noopener">Mainstream Group Holdings Ltd (MAI AU)</a> was taken private by Apex last month  - <a href="https://skr.ma/fu9ej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mainstream (MAI AU): Apex on Top Again as Bidding War Continues....</a>; and</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hub24-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12336:1" rel="noopener">Hub24 Ltd (HUB AU)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/class-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24287:1" rel="noopener">Class Ltd (CL1 AU)</a> entered into a Scheme Implementation Deed last month - <a href="https://skr.ma/odCXE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Class - Hub24: Scheme Trading Wide</a>.</li>
</ul>
Given the above, you can build an understanding why PPS would hold out for a superior Offer.
More below the fold.

Investment administrator Praemium Ltd (PPS AU) has rejected a non-binding proposal from key competitor Netwealth (NWL AU).
By way of a Scheme, Netwealth was offering 1 new NWL share for every 11.96 PPS shares, or an indicative Offer consideration of A$1.50, a 29% premium to last close, and a lifetime high.
PPS' board said the Proposal did not appropriately value Praemium’s current performance, near-term trajectory, growth momentum, and was not representative of recent transaction premia in the Australian platform and funds administration space.
This space is indeed hot. When PPS peer Onevue Holdings (OVH AU) was taken private in the middle of last year (as discussed by Janaghan Jeyakumar in OneVue-Iress: Australian Deal Trading Wide), the independent expert flagged (page 132) 12 peers (including PPS and NWL). Of the remaining 10:


Powerwrap Ltd (PWL AU) was taken private (by PPS) last October;

xplore (XPL AU) was taken private by Hub24 Ltd (HUB AU) in March;

Link Administration Holdings (LNK AU) was subject to Offers from SS&amp;C and Carlyle, but in May this year opted to go the IPO route for PEXA, the digital property settlement platform - Link Admin (LNK AU) Goes IPO Route For PEXA Afterall;


Iress Ltd (IRE AU) backed an Offer from EQT but the two were unable to agree to a transaction in September - Iress (IRE AU) Accepts EQT's Latest Proposal;

Mainstream Group Holdings Ltd (MAI AU) was taken private by Apex last month  - Mainstream (MAI AU): Apex on Top Again as Bidding War Continues....; and

Hub24 Ltd (HUB AU) and Class Ltd (CL1 AU) entered into a Scheme Implementation Deed last month - Class - Hub24: Scheme Trading Wide.

Given the above, you can build an understanding why PPS would hold out for a superior Offer.
More below the fold.

Praemium (PPS AU) Spurns Netwealth's (NWL AU) Proposal