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The poster child of advertising is back on investors' radars

In the latest in our Smart Small Caps series, Jemma Slingo talks to Octopus Investments about why M&C Saatchi has turned a corner
May 30, 2023

Ad land is a reliable source of bust-ups. Barely a year goes by without one advertising executive (usually male, often wearing natty glasses) falling out with another. Sir Martin Sorrell’s bitter resignation from WPP (WPP) after an investigation into his conduct – and his decision to set up rival group S4 Capital (SFOR) – is a prime example.

The Saatchi brothers have had their fair share of quarrels too. After founding Saatchi & Saatchi in 1970, they were ousted from the company in 1995 after a shareholder rebellion. M&C Saatchi (SAA) was formed a few months later. However, an accounting blunder in 2019 prompted Lord Maurice Saatchi to abandon his namesake once again (his older brother, Charles, had already stepped back to focus on the world of art).

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