Markross121_ September 2, 2019 No Comments

Sale of British Steel subsidiary to French firm protects 400 jobs

York-based TSP Projects will be folded into Systra, which will take on pension liabilities

A subsidiary of British Steel has been sold by the government to the French company Systra in a deal that protects 400 jobs.

The deal is not expected to have any impact on discussions on the rest of British Steel, as exclusive talks continue between the government’s official receiver, the state employee managing the sale, and Oyak, the Turkish military pension fund.

York-based TSP Projects, which designs and builds large rail infrastructure projects, will be folded into Systra. The proceeds of the sale are likely to be allocated to lenders to British Steel, which collapsed into liquidation in May.

Neither the government nor the companies disclosed the sale price but Systra will also take on TSP’s £70m pension liabilities, a hangover from the company’s days as a division of British Rail before privatisation.

Craig Scott, the chief executive of TSP Projects, said the liquidation of British Steel had never threatened his company, which was performing well and counted firms including Network Rail, Siemens and Costain among its clients.

“We would always have found a buyer,” said Scott. He added that he was “pleased to get out from the association with British Steel in administration and to be able to get on with focusing on our business. We’re moving to an owner where we’re part of their core business and it’s a permanent home.”

He said Systra and TSP Projects were growing, meaning that none of the company’s 400 jobs would be lost and more staff could be hired. “We do not have sufficient people to deliver the pipeline we have got coming, so together we need to grow,” he said.

TSP Projects has worked on projects such as the redevelopment of King’s Cross and Reading stations and is also working on infrastructure at Gatwick airport’s station and upgrades to the TransPennine Express rail route.

Most of its employees are based in York but it also has outposts in Birmingham, Manchester, Reading and Bristol.

Systra, an engineering group specialising in transport, is owned by the French state railway companies SNCF and RATP, which runs public transport in Paris, and a consortium of French banks.

Permira-backed TeamViewer defies European IPO drought

PE-backed software company TeamViewer has announced plans to go public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by the end of the year. The offering could be one of Germany’s largest listings since 2017, with the expected valuation said to be between €4 billion and €5 billion (between around $4.4 billion and $5.5 billion).

Based in the city of Göppingen, TeamViewer develops a platform for online meetings and remote desktop access that has been installed on over 2 billion devices. Last year, the company reportedly generated sales of €230 million and EBITDA of €121 million.

Permira bought the business in 2014 for a reported €870 million from GFI Software. The PE firm is anticipated to sell between 30% and 40% of its shares, according to the Financial Times, but is said to be retaining its position as a majority stakeholder. Permira was reportedly approached by Hellman & Friedman and Vista Equity Partners in 2017, with each firm offering separate bids of some $2 billion to acquire TeamViewer.

If successful, the listing bucks a trend that has seen a significant drop in European IPOs. According to data from PitchBook, public offerings on the continent are at their lowest levels in nearly a decade. So far this year, 106 European companies have gone public compared with 311 last year. What’s more, very few of the companies that debuted on the markets this year raised large amounts of cash.

Only three businesses from the continent have broken the €1 billion mark in eight months. The largest IPO came courtesy of Italian lender Nexi, which priced its shares at €9 apiece to raise more than €2 billion in April. Europe’s second-biggest listing of the year saw Volkswagen’s truck and bus unit Traton make its stock market debut at €27 per share which brought in €1.55 billion. The final company that raised at least €1 billion is Trainline, the developer of a platform offering train and bus tickets. The KKR-backed business secured £951 million (around $1.2 billion at the time) by floating in London.

Some European businesses have avoided the markets altogether or backed out of scheduled IPOs. In July, Swiss Re pulled plans to list its UK life insurance arm ReAssure, which could have given the business a market cap of up to £3.3 billion. The group cited weak demand and heightened caution as its reasons, suggesting that certain political events may play a role in IPO suspension.

Of course, Brexit gets some of the blame, especially in the UK, but political uncertainty may not be the only reason for the lackluster demand for IPOs. Considering share price performance, European businesses haven’t been the best performers when going public. Traton’s stock has pretty much been on a downward spiral since the company’s June IPO—closing Wednesday at just over €22 per share—while Nexi’s stock fell a reported 6.2% on its first day. And we all know the debacles that were the Aston Martin and Funding Circle listings.

Still, there is hope that if it is executed, TeamViewer’s public debut will fare better than some of its peers, with its profitability and the attractiveness of the software market.

Leeds-based ticketing platform acquired by Festicket

Leeds-based ticketing platform, Event Genius, has been acquired by Festicket, the world’s largest platform for music festival experiences.

The sale includes Event Genius’s consumer facing brand, Ticket Arena. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The new offering, known as Event Genius by Festicket, will create an “end-to-end platform for organisers and fans alike, providing the most complete offering in the live entertainment industry”.

Founded by managing director Reshad Hossenally (pictured above) in 2008, Event Genius offers complete event solutions to events including Wales Rally GB, Motion Bristol, Annie Mac’s Lost & Found Festival, Summer Daze, Ibiza Rocks and BPM Festival.

Following the acquisition, Festicket will roll out the new offering to festivals, concerts, clubs, sports, family attractions and other events worldwide.

Based in Leeds and London, Event Genius and Ticket Arena has worked with over 1.9 million customers and generated over €400 million worth of sales.

Festicket, founded in 2012 by Zack Sabban and Jonathan Younes, is backed by investors including Beringea, Edge, Lepe Partners and ProFounders. It was ranked as the UK’s 21st fastest-growing technology company by the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 in 2018.

Zack Sabban, CEO and co-founder at Festicket, said: “The acquisition transforms Festicket’s product set. In Event Genius, we have found a company that shares our mission to be a disruptive force in the live entertainment market and – ultimately – to bring the best possible experiences to fans. Reshad and the team have built a great product they have good reason to be proud of, and I look forward to welcoming them to the Festicket family.”

Hossenally, who will join Festicket as chief supply chain officer, said: “The Event Genius mission has always been to utilise technology to bring event organisers and consumers a better experience, regardless of the size or type of event. Couple this with Festicket’s global marketplace and supplier network and we have something truly unique for the events industry.”

Fans at crisis club Bury turn out to clean up their stadium

Bury have been given until 5pm on Tuesday to secure their future, with current owner Steve Dale in talks with data analytics company C&N Sporting Risk over a potential takeover.

However, EFL executive chair Debbie Jevans has suggested that deadline could be extended if only “one per cent” of the deal remains to be completed.

Volunteers have been arriving at Gigg Lane this morning to help after an appeal from the club to help clean up the stadium.

“Whilst the EFL and our potential new owners proceed with their necessary paperwork and dealings, the club needs to prepare the Stadium in order for Saturdays EFL Sky Bet League One clash with Doncaster Rovers to take place.
“With Tuesday’s deadline firmly set, preparations for our first game of the season will commence at 9:00am on Tuesday morning.”
“Recent events, over the summer months, have left the club with just a skeleton staff and we must, therefore, call on voluntary help in order to get the Stadium ready.”

– Bury FC

Green Investment Group acquires Tysvaer onshore wind farm in Norway

The Tysvaer onshore wind farm is one of the renewable energy projects being developed by GIG and will comprise 11 Siemens Gamesa 4.3MW turbines.

Green Investment Group (GIG), a Macquarie Group company, has announced the acquisition of the 47MW Tysvaer Onshore Wind Farm in Norway from Spanish Power.

The acquisition is GIG’s first development in Norway, expanding the company’s presence in the Nordic region.

Previously, GIG had acquired Markbygden, Overturingen and Hornamossen onshore wind farms in Sweden.

Located in the Tysvaer municipality within Rogaland Fylke in southern Norway, the Tysvaer onshore wind farm is one of the renewable energy projects being developed by GIG and will comprise 11 Siemens Gamesa 4.3MW turbines.

Tysvaer Onshore Wind Farm is in the final stages of planning

The project, which is in the final stages of planning, is being studied by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE).

The company received outline planning consent in July 2018 and amended layouts are expected to be finalised in October 2019.

GIG is using several Norwegian supply chain companies to deliver the project, which will support high-value jobs during the construction and operations.

Nordisk Vindkraft has been selected as construction manager. RISA will be responsible for the construction of roads, turbine foundations and the installation of electric cables.

The project is being developed directly by GIG and construction is expected to commence in early 2020.

When fully operational, the Tysvaer onshore wind farm will produce enough low-carbon electricity to power the equivalent of 8,750 Norwegian homes every year.

The wind farm will also displace around 8,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of removing 2,500 cars from the road.

Green Investment Group Europe head Edward Northam said: “Norway is blessed with some of the best renewable resources in Europe which have already enabled the country to deliver a virtually zero-carbon electricity system.

“But the ambition doesn’t end there. Norway’s goal of achieving emissions neutrality is one of the most impressive low-carbon visions anywhere in the world and I’m delighted that GIG is able to help drive Norway’s green shift.”

Green Investment Group was launched initially by the UK government in 2012 and was acquired by the Macquarie Group in 2017.

Recently, it entered the Polish wind market by acquiring the 42MW Kisielice onshore wind farm from Impax New Energy.

PDC Energy to acquire SRC Energy for £1.4bn

The merger of the two oil and natural gas exploration and production companies is expected to create the second largest producer in the DJ Basin

PDC Energy has agreed to acquire rival US oil and gas company SRC Energy for about $1.7bn (£1.39bn) in an all-stock transaction to create a premier mid-cap operator with peer-leading cost structure and free cash flow profile.

The total consideration includes SRC Energy’s net debt of around $685m (£560.53m) as of 30 June 2019.

Headquartered in Colorado, PDC Energy operates in the Wattenberg Field in the state and also in the Delaware Basin in West Texas. The company’s operations are centred on the liquid-rich horizontal Niobrara and Codell plays in the Wattenberg Field and the liquid-rich Wolfcamp zones located in the Delaware Basin.

SRC Energy, which is also based in Colorado, has been operating since 2008. The company’s oil and gas assets are located mainly in the Wattenberg Field in the Denver-Julesburg Basin (DJ Basin) in northeast Colorado.

Following the merger, PDC Energy will expand its acreage in Wattenberg to nearly 182,000 net acres, of which almost 100% is located in Weld County, Colorado.

The second quarter 2019 total production of the enlarged company is around 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent (Boe) per day. The combined company is expected to become the second largest producer in the DJ Basin, and will also hold nearly 36,000 net acres of acreage in Delaware Basin.

PDC Energy president and CEO Bart Brookman said: “SRC’s complementary, high-quality assets in the Core Wattenberg, coupled with our existing inventory and track record of operational excellence will create a best-in-class operator with the size, scale and financial positioning to thrive in today’s market.

“We remain committed to our core Delaware Basin acreage position and are confident the combined company with its multi-basin focus will be well-positioned to deliver superior shareholder returns.”

£21m-turnover manufacturer acquired by German group

A Keighley-based manufacturer of precision fastener devices which sells components worldwide has been acquired by a German counterpart. £21m-turnover Glusburn Holdings, the holding company of Cirteq, has been bought by German manufacturer Titgemeyer, an international fastening and transport technology company. Cirteq operates out of a modern factory in Glusburn, near Keighley, with 215 staff and a further 55 employed via agencies. Established in the 1930s, the company went through a series of corporate ownerships, including …

IWG may launch US IPO, extending co-working space growth frenzy

International Workplace Group is considering an IPO in New York for its US-based operations, according to Sky News. Such a spinoff could reportedly be worth up to £3 billion (about $3.67 billion), nearly equal to IWG’s £3.64 billion (about $4.45 billion) market cap as of August 26. The company did not immediately respond to PitchBook’s request for comment.

The news came less than two weeks after WeWork released its S-1 document August 14, revealing 1H 2019 losses of over $900 million while holding a footprint comparable to IWG’s. As a result, IWG’s consideration of an IPO is perhaps a direct response to WeWork’s advance, evidenced by IWG’s insistence of only considering underwriters that are not involved with WeWork’s IPO, again per Sky News.

IWG isn’t the only player in this space making moves after WeWork’s S-1 reveal.

On Thursday, New York-based Industrious reeled in $80 million from Brookfield Property Partners and fitness club provider Equinox, among others. CEO Jamie Hodari expects the company to be profitable within a “few months,” according to Reuters. On Wednesday, New York-based Knotel announced it had pulled in $400 million at an over $1 billion valuation in a round led by Wafra.

Lesser-known competitors, such as The Yard, Convene, BHIVE Workspace, Alley, and The Wing, also stand to possibly beef up their game as WeWork’s IPO plays out.

Hasbro buys Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One in £3.3bn deal

The US toy company behind My Little Pony and Play-Doh has agreed to buy Peppa Pig for £3.3bn in the the latest foreign takeover of a much-loved British brand for a bargain price following the collapse in the value of the pound over fears of a no-deal Brexit.

The sale of Peppa Pig’s owner Entertainment One to Hasbro brings the total value of UK companies to fall into overseas hands in the last two months to more than £25bn. City analysts said foreign investors were finding UK businesses very attractive since Boris Johnson’s ascension to prime minister sent sterling to its lowest level against the dollar in recent years.

“It’s pretty clear that a whole raft of London investment banks are trawling the world saying, ‘Do you want to buy this in Britain?’,” Clive Black, an analyst at broker Shore Capital, said this week.

“The foreign takeovers keep on coming,” Russ Mould, the investment director at stockbroker AJ Bell, said: “Entertainment One has been seen as a bid target for a long time although all the chatter has focused on a media company being the logical suitor.”

Hong Kong’s richest family bought the 220-year-old pub and beer company Greene King this week in a £4.6bn deal. The US private equity group Advent International agreed a £4bn buyout of the UK aerospace and defence supplier Cobham last month, and the Netherlands-based Takeaway.com agreed a £5bn takeover of Just Eat.

Despite signs of a potential recession, deal maker sentiment remains optimistic

Recent news about the yield inversion will probably have an effect on investor psyche. Inversions have historically predated recessions by as many as 24 months—one lag in particular (2005-2007) also included a significant rise in the S&P. In four of the last five recessions, the lag between inversion and the start of a recession has lasted at least a year.

It’s a bit different with market corrections, which in two of five cases have begun in three months or less. Another tidbit came earlier this year from Bain & Co.’s Hugh MacArthur, who noted “only three periods historically [where] private multiples generally exceed the public average: during the ‘Barbarians at the Gate’ era of the mid-1980s, during the exuberant runup to the 2008 global financial crisis, and now.”

The sky has been falling for a long time among prognosticators, and the “tea leaves” in the featured chart don’t give us much of a schedule to work with. At PitchBook, we’ve been trying to gauge investor sentiment through our PE Deal Multiples Survey. In our last survey, we asked respondents for their reasons for canceling or renegotiating their most recent transactions. Here are their responses:

Those answers painted an optimistic picture among dealmakers, with only 7% citing negative changes in market fundamentals. The two most-cited responses reflect a strong market—41% said they found adverse information during due diligence and 24% said another buyer swooped in with a better offer.

Even not-that-bad information found during diligence is legitimate grounds to rethink purchase prices. There isn’t a lot of room for error with today’s multiples, and we’ve heard plenty of anecdotes of deals taking upward of 12 months to close. Furthermore, there are lots of buyers trying to put their money to work, so overcautious dealmakers will lose out to higher bidders. Those two reasons accounted for 65% of our results.

We’re curious about your thoughts as dealmakers, and our newest survey is now live. All deal data is kept confidential and isn’t published on our database. Participants receive the full aggregated report and are entered into a $300 Amazon gift card drawing—and everyone gets a candid look of current market sentiment, which may shift in the next month, or year, or two years.

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