Apax Global Alpha Limited
Apax Funds to
acquire Evelyn Partners' accountancy business which will rebrand as
S&W
Apax Global Alpha Limited ("AGA"), the closed-ended investment
company providing access to the Apax Private Equity Funds, today
announces that it expects to invest approximately
€28m in the accountancy and advisory practice of Evelyn Partners on
a look-through basis.
On 25 November 2024, the Apax XI Fund ("Apax XI"), in which AGA is a limited partner,
announced that it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire
Evelyn Partners' accountancy business. The
transaction will create a leading standalone UK mid-market
accountancy business which, upon completion, will be rebranded
S&W, building on the heritage of the Smith & Williamson
brand which dates back to 1881. The
transaction remains subject to customary closing
conditions.
Evelyn
Partners' accountancy and advisory practice, which is based in
London and serves clients across the UK, offers a range of
accountancy services including audit and business outsourcing,
business tax, private client tax, and advisory.
Apax has
identified the mid-market accountancy and advisory space as the
ideal place to invest as increased regulation and conflicts make
the Big Four less competitive in servicing the mid-market. Within
this market, Apax viewed S&W as the ideal UK platform to back
because of its brand heritage, high quality
service offering, deep talent pool and it has demonstrated a track
record of growth.
The
investment thesis is to support the newly branded S&W on its
growth journey, cementing its place as a leader in the mid-market
space. There is an opportunity to improve
its already strong client offering through new go to market
strategies, cross-selling and further investment in
technology. There is also a meaningful
opportunity to unlock strategic M&A in what is a fragmented
market.
Note that AGA's expected investment
in S&W is calculated based on the look-through positions of
Apax XI's overall investment in S&W and is translated based on
the latest exchange rates available where
applicable1.
AGA, whose shares are listed on the
London Stock Exchange, provides investors with access to a
diversified portfolio of private equity funds advised by Apax as
well as a focused portfolio of mostly debt investments. In June
2022, AGA made a commitment of c. $700m to Apax
XI2.
For more information about the
transaction, please visit:
https://www.apax.com/news/press-releases/
END
Contact details:
Investor.relations@apaxglobalalpha.com
Footnotes
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1.
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Based on GBP/EUR FX rate on 25
November 2024 of 1.1974
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2.
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AGA's commitment in Apax XI of
c.$700m represents a commitment of $490m in the USD tranche and
€198.4.m in the euro tranche.
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Notes
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1.
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Note that references in this
announcement to Apax Global Alpha Limited have been abbreviated to
"AGA" or "the Company". References to Apax Partners LLP have been
abbreviated to "Apax", or "the Investment Adviser".
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2.
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Please be advised that this
announcement may contain inside information as stipulated under the
Market Abuse Regulations (EU) NO. 596/2014 ("MAR").
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3.
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This announcement is not for
release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in
whole or in part, into or within the United States or to "US
persons" (as defined in Regulation S under the United States
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act")) or into
or within Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan. Recipients of
this announcement in jurisdictions outside the UK should inform
themselves about and observe any applicable legal requirements in
their jurisdictions. In particular, the distribution of the
announcement may be restricted by law in certain
jurisdictions.
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4.
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The information presented herein is
not an offer for sale within the United States of any equity shares
or other securities of Apax Global Alpha Limited ("AGA"). AGA has
not been and will not be registered under the US Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"). In
addition, AGA's shares (the "Shares") have not been and will not be
registered under the Securities Act or any other applicable law of
the United States. Consequently, the Shares may not be offered or
sold or otherwise transferred within the United States, or to, or
for the account or benefit of, US Persons, except pursuant to an
exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act
and under circumstances which will not require AGA to register
under the Investment Company Act. No public offering of the Shares
is being made in the United States.
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5.
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This announcement may include
forward-looking statements. The words "expect", "anticipate",
"intends", "plan", "estimate", "aim", "forecast", "project" and
similar expressions (or their negative) identify certain of these
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are
statements regarding AGA's intentions, beliefs or current
expectations concerning, among other things, AGA's results of
operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth and
strategies. The forward-looking statements in this presentation are
based on numerous assumptions regarding AGA's present and future
business strategies and the environment in which AGA will operate
in the future. Forward-looking statements involve inherent known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies because they
relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not
occur in the future and may cause the actual results, performance
or achievements of AGA to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Many of
these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond
AGA's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as future
market conditions, currency fluctuations, the behaviour of other
market participants, the actions of regulators and other factors
such as AGA's ability to continue to obtain financing to meet its
liquidity needs, changes in the political, social and regulatory
framework in which AGA operates or in economic or technological
trends or conditions. Past performance should not be taken as an
indication or guarantee of future results, and no representation or
warranty, express or implied, is made regarding future performance.
AGA expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release
any updates or revisions to these forward-looking statements to
reflect any change in AGA's expectations with regard thereto or any
change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any
statement is based after the date of this announcement, or to
update or to keep current any other information contained in this
announcement. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on
the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of
this announcement.
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About Apax Global Alpha Limited
AGA is a Guernsey registered
closed-ended investment Company listed on the London Stock
Exchange. It is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services
Commission.
AGA's objective is to provide
shareholders with capital appreciation from its investment
portfolio and regular dividends. The Company is targeting an
annualised Total Return, across economic cycles, of 12-15% (net of
fees and expenses) including a dividend yield of 5% of Net Asset
Value.
The Company makes Private Equity
investments in Apax Funds, and has a portfolio of primarily debt
investments, derived from the insights gained via Apax's Private
Equity activities.
Further information regarding the
Company and its publications are available on the Company's website
at www.apaxglobalalpha.com.
About Apax
Apax Partners LLP ("Apax") is a
leading global private equity advisory firm. For over 50 years,
Apax has worked to inspire growth and ideas that transform
businesses. The firm has raised and advised funds with aggregate
commitments of nearly $80 billion. The Apax Funds invest in
companies across three global sectors of Tech, Services, and
Internet/Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing
to build and strengthen world-class companies. For further
information about Apax, please visit www.apax.com.
Apax is authorised and regulated by
the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.