The M&A boom is set to continue in 2022 according to deals frenzy set to continue into 2022, according to Corrs Chambers Westgarth’s M&A 2022 Outlook report. The Australian M&A market has sprung back to life, with current conditions paving the way for another busy year ahead,   As it stands, Australia is set for its…

Specialist small- and micro-cap Australian equities investment manager NAOS Asset Management has taken its philosophy into the private markets, with the launch of its Private Opportunities Fund, for which it is seeking to raise at least $35 million. The fund will invest in up to 20 private companies that NAOS identifies as being profitable, having…

Perennial Value Management, long known only for its value stock-picking prowess, this week closed the third iteration of the Private to Public Opportunities Fund. The raising was fully subscribed, hitting the $200 million cap that was put in place to ensure maximum flexibility for the portfolio managers, including Ryan Sohn. The fund is a unique…

Castlerock, a full-service property group specialising in buying and managing Commonwealth and State Government tenanted buildings is set to expand its asset base following its latest purchase. The group has made the largest acquisition in their 18-year history, purchasing the Icon building located in Ipswich’s CBD for $145.2 million. The purchase will be settled in…

The recovery from 2020’s “massive period of turbulence” hasn’t lifted all boats, and there are still plenty of bargains to be had, if you know where to look. Gareth James, Morningstar’s Sydney-based equity research strategist, expects Link Administration (ASX: LNK), for instance, to bounce back from “a tough few years” of regulatory changes and the…

AMP’s wealth management arm will launch a cost-cutting program and make sweeping redundancies across its workforce in a bid to turn the troubled business around. While “Ms Fixit” Alexis George is yet to step into her new role as AMP Limited chief executive after leaving ANZ, AMP Australia – which is responsible for wealth management…

Charter Hall Long WALE REIT (ASX: CLW) has announced that it has secured a $790 million investment portfolio to be owned by the REIT and Charter Hall Direct funds. The high-quality first-generation leased portfolio comprises three offices and one life science/industrial asset. The portfolio comprises four assets with a total net lettable area (NLA) of…

According to US$3.3 trillion ($4.3 trillion) asset manager, Fidelity International, companies with strong ESG characteristics outperformed in 2020, and should be expected to continue delivering strong returns into the future. That said, significant work lies ahead as the global economy moves towards a more ‘sustainable’ footing with asset managers central to this process. “Engagement” has…

This week Yarra Capital announced the acquisition of Nikko Asset Management’s Australian business, named Nikko AM, in a deal that will see the combined group hit A$20 billion in assets under management. The combined multi-asset manager will become one of the largest independently owned fixed income and equities managers in the country. This transaction, set…

Channel Capital this week announced its expansion into the massive US asset management market, partnering with respected industry leader, Des Mac Intyre, formerly CEO of the US$600 billion ($770 billion) Mellon Investments Corporation. Since its founding in 2013, Channel Capital has grown into a A$16 billion asset manager, incubating investment talent while providing important back-office,…

Investment and superannuation service provider Mainstream Group (ASX: MAI) reported a 20 per cent yearly rise in funds under administration this week. The company, which has broadened its services from traditional administration including application forms and tax reporting, to complementary businesses lines like custody and superannuation, is riding a tailwind of structural growth. Founded in…

Assume you are the global portfolio manager of the Sector Hindsight Fund. This allows you to make decisions with knowledge about equity sector performance with hindsight, but not stocks within the sectors. The pedantic client base would expect you to show risk management as well, therefore a single sector is not on. Beating the global…