Worldwide deal activity totaled $4.0 trillion during 2018, an increase of 19% compared to 2017, and only the third year on record M&A has passed the $4 trillion milestone. Global growth has been a theme of the current wave of M&A, and cross-border deal activity totaled $1.6 trillion during the year, a 32% increase over 2017 and the strongest year for cross-border M&A since 2007. Dealmaking in Europe was $1.0 trillion, the highest total in 11 years.
The merger arbitrage universe had a number of positive developments recently that met the headwinds of spreads widening. Specifically:
- Tribune Media (TRCO-NYSE), a media company that owns television broadcast stations as well as other media assets, agreed to be acquired by Nexstar Media Group for $46.50 cash per share, or about $7 billion. Previously, in May 2017, Tribune agreed to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast. Tribune’s deal with Nexstar is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019, and shareholders will receive a “ticking fee” consideration of approximately $0.30 per month if the transaction has not closed by August 31, 2019.
- Shire plc (SHPG-NASDAQ) cleared its final hurdle in December when shareholders of acquirer Takeda voted to approve Takeda’s $80 billion acquisition of the company. The transaction is closed in January 2019.
- Express Scripts (ESRX-NASDAQ) received all remaining state regulatory approvals in December and the acquisition by Cigna was subsequently completed on December 21. Express Scripts shareholders received $48.75 cash and 0.2434 shares of Cigna common stock per share of Express Scripts, which valued the transaction at about $70 billion.
In addition some notable deals announced in December included:
- Tesaro, Inc. (TSRO-NASDAQ), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, agreed to be acquired by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline for $75 cash per share, or about $4.5 billion.
- Belmond Ltd. (BEL-NYSE), an owner and operator of luxury hotels, tourist trains and restaurants, agreed to be acquired by luxury goods group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton for $25 cash per share, or about $4 billion.
- MINDBODY, Inc. (MB-NASDAQ), a cloud-based business management software and payments platform for the wellness services industry, agreed to be acquired by technology investment firm Vista Equity Partners for $36.50 cash per share, or about $2 billion.
We are excited about our prospects to generate returns uncorrelated to the market in 2019. Historically, periods of market volatility have been fertile ground for merger arbitrage investing, because we are able to purchase shares of target companies at cheaper prices.
Column by Gabelli Funds, written by Michael Gabelli
To access our proprietary value investment methodology, and dedicated merger arbitrage portfolio we offer the following UCITS Funds in each discipline:
GAMCO MERGER ARBITRAGE
GAMCO Merger Arbitrage UCITS Fund, launched in October 2011, is an open-end fund incorporated in Luxembourg and compliant with UCITS regulation. The team, dedicated strategy, and record dates back to 1985. The objective of the GAMCO Merger Arbitrage Fund is to achieve long-term capital growth by investing primarily in announced equity merger and acquisition transactions while maintaining a diversified portfolio. The Fund utilizes a highly specialized investment approach designed principally to profit from the successful completion of proposed mergers, takeovers, tender offers, leveraged buyouts and other types of corporate reorganizations. Analyzes and continuously monitors each pending transaction for potential risk, including: regulatory, terms, financing, and shareholder approval.
Merger investments are a highly liquid, non-market correlated, proven and consistent alternative to traditional fixed income and equity securities. Merger returns are dependent on deal spreads. Deal spreads are a function of time, deal risk premium, and interest rates. Returns are thus correlated to interest rate changes over the medium term and not the broader equity market. The prospect of rising rates would imply higher returns on mergers as spreads widen to compensate arbitrageurs. As bond markets decline (interest rates rise), merger returns should improve as capital allocation decisions adjust to the changes in the costs of capital.
Broad Market volatility can lead to widening of spreads in merger positions, coupled with our well-researched merger portfolios, offer the potential for enhanced IRRs through dynamic position sizing. Daily price volatility fluctuations coupled with less proprietary capital (the Volcker rule) in the U.S. have contributed to improving merger spreads and thus, overall returns. Thus our fund is well positioned as a cash substitute or fixed income alternative.
Our objectives are to compound and preserve wealth over time, while remaining non-correlated to the broad global markets. We created our first dedicated merger fund 32 years ago. Since then, our merger performance has grown client assets at an annualized rate of approximately 10.7% gross and 7.6% net since 1985. Today, we manage assets on behalf of institutional and high net worth clients globally in a variety of fund structures and mandates.
Class I USD – LU0687944552
Class I EUR – LU0687944396
Class A USD – LU0687943745
Class A EUR – LU0687943661
Class R USD – LU1453360825
Class R EUR – LU1453361476
GAMCO ALL CAP VALUE
The GAMCO All Cap Value UCITS Fund launched in May, 2015 utilizes Gabelli’s its proprietary PMV with a Catalyst™ investment methodology, which has been in place since 1977. The Fund seeks absolute returns through event driven value investing. Our methodology centers around fundamental, research-driven, value based investing with a focus on asset values, cash flows and identifiable catalysts to maximize returns independent of market direction. The fund draws on the experience of its global portfolio team and 35+ value research analysts.
GAMCO is an active, bottom-up, value investor, and seeks to achieve real capital appreciation (relative to inflation) over the long term regardless of market cycles. Our value-oriented stock selection process is based on the fundamental investment principles first articulated in 1934 by Graham and Dodd, the founders of modern security analysis, and further augmented by Mario Gabelli in 1977 with his introduction of the concepts of Private Market Value (PMV) with a Catalyst™ into equity analysis. PMV with a Catalyst™ is our unique research methodology that focuses on individual stock selection by identifying firms selling below intrinsic value with a reasonable probability of realizing their PMV’s which we define as the price a strategic or financial acquirer would be willing to pay for the entire enterprise. The fundamental valuation factors utilized to evaluate securities prior to inclusion/exclusion into the portfolio, our research driven approach views fundamental analysis as a three pronged approach: free cash flow (earnings before, interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, minus the capital expenditures necessary to grow/maintain the business); earnings per share trends; and private market value (PMV), which encompasses on and off balance sheet assets and liabilities. Our team arrives at a PMV valuation by a rigorous assessment of fundamentals from publicly available information and judgement gained from meeting management, covering all size companies globally and our comprehensive, accumulated knowledge of a variety of sectors. We then identify businesses for the portfolio possessing the proper margin of safety and research variables from our deep research universe.
Class I USD – LU1216601648
Class I EUR – LU1216601564
Class A USD – LU1216600913
Class A EUR – LU1216600673
Class R USD – LU1453359900
Class R EUR – LU1453360155
Disclaimer:
The information and any opinions have been obtained from or are based on sources believed to be reliable but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. No responsibility can be accepted for any consequential loss arising from the use of this information. The information is expressed at its date and is issued only to and directed only at those individuals who are permitted to receive such information in accordance with the applicable statutes. In some countries the distribution of this publication may be restricted. It is your responsibility to find out what those restrictions are and observe them.
Some of the statements in this presentation may contain or be based on forward looking statements, forecasts, estimates, projections, targets, or prognosis (“forward looking statements”), which reflect the manager’s current view of future events, economic developments and financial performance. Such forward looking statements are typically indicated by the use of words which express an estimate, expectation, belief, target or forecast. Such forward looking statements are based on an assessment of historical economic data, on the experience and current plans of the investment manager and/or certain advisors of the manager, and on the indicated sources. These forward looking statements contain no representation or warranty of whatever kind that such future events will occur or that they will occur as described herein, or that such results will be achieved by the fund or the investments of the fund, as the occurrence of these events and the results of the fund are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The actual portfolio, and thus results, of the fund may differ substantially from those assumed in the forward looking statements. The manager and its affiliates will not undertake to update or review the forward looking statements contained in this presentation, whether as result of new information or any future event or otherwise.
By Alicia Miguel Serrano