AVI Global Trust

AVI Global Trust (LSE: AGT) is a London-based British investment trust. The company is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.[1] The chairwoman is Susan Noble.[2]

AVI Global Trust
FormerlyTransvaal Mortgage Loan and Finance Company (1889–1906)
British Empire Land Mortgage and Loan Company (1906–1964)
British Empire Securities and General Trust Limited (1964–2015)
British Empire Trust (2015–2019)
Founded1889
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Key people
Susan Noble (chairwoman)
Websitewww.aviglobal.co.uk

History

The company was established in 1889 as the Transvaal Mortgage Loan and Finance Company,[3] led by chairman W.J. Thompson.[4] As the Transvaal Mortgage Loan and Finance Company, it invested in what is now South Africa.[3]

The firm was renamed the British Empire Land Mortgage and Loan Company in 1906, British Empire Securities and General Trust Limited in 1964 and British Empire Trust in 2015,[5] with the final name change to AVI Global Trust in 2019.[6]

The firm's recent history dates to 1985, when Asset Value Investors, an employee-owned management company was established to manage the firm, then valued at £6 million.[7]

Its goal of acquiring firms under NAV has led it to attempt takeovers of other investment trusts trading at a discount.[3] In 1986 the company acquired Ashdown Investment Trust for £66 million.[8] In 1989 it mounted a hostile takeover bid for Schroder Global Trust: it had been building up a stake in the target company over a two-year period.[9] In 1995 it acquired the Selective Assets Trust (formerly the Edinburgh Assets Trust)[10] for £42 million.[8] It changed its name from British Empire Trust to AVI Global Trust in May 2019.[11]

In 2016 the activist US hedge fund, Elliott Management Corporation, built up a large stake in the company.[12][13][14][15] The investment was seen as one of Elliott's successful investment positions in the UK.[16]

In 2019–20 the company invested heavily in SoftBank Group and other Japanese stocks.[17] The company's strategy has been to take advantage of Softbank's share buyback programme.[18][19] This has supported the company's market capitalisation on the London Stock Exchange which was £751 million in July 2020.[20] It has also built up a significant holding in Pershing Square Holdings, a hedge fund.[21]

References
  1. "FTSE 250". FTSE Russell. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  2. "Trust spends millions buying back shares". Financial Times. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  3. Costello, Miles (27 March 2019). "British Empire Trust". The Times. p. 50. - via ProQuest.
  4. Goldmann, Charles Sydney (1896). South American Mines; Their Position, Results, & Developments: Together with an Account of Diamond, Land, Finance, and Kindred Concerns: Volume 2. Effingham Wilson & Co. p. 156. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. Newlands, John (2016). The History of British Empire Trust (PDF). AVI Investment Management. p. 4. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  6. "Goodbye British Empire as old trust investor changes name". Citywire. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  7. Asset Value Investors
  8. AVI Global Trust: History
  9. Schroder and British Empire set to lock horns in bid battle Glasgow Herald, 4 February 1989
  10. Edinburgh Assets Trust Oldest Scottish Companies
  11. "Name Change". Shares Magazine. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  12. "Hedge fund Elliott builds stake in British Empire Trust". The Telegraph. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  13. "Elliott Advisors builds 5% stake in British Empire trust". Investment Week. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  14. "Elliott Advisors takes stake in British Empire Trust". Ft Advisor. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  15. "In the papers: Hershey, Lloyds Banking Group,Bank of England". Proactive Investors. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  16. "Activist hedge fund Elliott scores successes in UK". Financial times. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  17. "AVI rides SoftBank surge as Japan activism becomes its big bet". Investment Trust Advisor. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  18. "SoftBank shares attractive near-term as buyback eyed - UK's AVI". Nasdaq. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  19. "AVI rides SoftBank surge as Japan activism becomes its big bet". Citywire. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  20. "Numis adds Scottish Mortgage to recommended list". Investment Week. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  21. "Buying opportunity for AVI Global". Master Investor. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

Further reading
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