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Novo ups ConvaTec stake

The life sciences investor bought shares following Nordic Capital’s final sale
May 17, 2018

Nordic Capital, a former private equity owner of ConvaTec (CTEC), offloaded its final stake in the medical equipment manufacturer on 3 May – selling to institutional investors via an accelerated book-build. Nordic had been reducing its position since the company’s 2016 initial public offering. Still, its final sale may not have inspired huge confidence among shareholders – particularly given the supply issues ConvaTec has endured within its advanced wound and ostomy care segments, and management's guidance trim last October.

IC TIP: Sell at 228p

It's encouraging, therefore, to see Novo Holdings – an investor in life sciences businesses – lift its stake again on 8 May. Novo is classified as closely associated with Kasim Kutay, a non-executive director at ConvaTec, who is also Novo’s chief executive. Novo purchased 6m shares at an average price of £2.24p, valuing the entire deal at £13.4m. According to current Bloomberg data, Novo is ConvaTec’s largest shareholder, with a 20 per cent stake.

Buys
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Alliance Trust Robert Smith (ch)03 May 184,000729.6829,18722,0000.006
Ashtead  Wayne Edmunds03 May 1814,2602,059293,61321,2600.004
Breedon  Peter Tom (ch)04 May 18250,00081202,50042,744,0632.557
Cablevision Nelson Pozzoli09 May 187276,188.7944,9937270.001
Challenger Acquisitions Mark Gustafson04 May 181,250,0000.33,7504,150,0001.874
Clarke (T) Trevor Mitchell09 May 182,00079.71,5942,0000.005
ConvaTec♥Kasim Kutay03 May 186,000,000224.076613,444,5966,000,0000.307
Direct Line Insurance  Jane Hanson03 May 1811,083360.939,99911,0830.001
Equiniti  Guy Wakeley (ceo)03 May 187,179277.18719,8991,111,0850.305
Equiniti  Philip Yea (ch)03 May 1836,198278.18100,69685,0000.023
Frontera Resources Zaza Mamulaishvili (ceo)08 May 1810,000,0000.4848,0001,024,259,2266.499
Frontera Resources Zaza Mamulaishvili (ceo)08 May 1816,000,0000.4978,4001,040,259,2266.600
GlobalData Murray Legg04 May 188,00059547,60023,0000.019
IMI Robert Smith (ch)03 May 186,0001,072.9364,37614,3000.005
IP  David Begg08 May 188,000137.210,97650,3910.005
Imperial Brands Oliver Tant (cfo)09 May 182,5462,764.1270,37463,0270.007
Kenmare Resources Tony McCluskey (fd)04 May 189,023239.4521,60644,3570.040
Kingfisher Andy Cosslett (ch)03 May 1846,703279.7130,628146,5050.007
Manchester & London Investment Trust David Harris04 May 181,500471.27,0687,0000.030
Manchester & London Investment Trust David Harris04 May 181,845471.358,6965,5000.023
Mission MarketingGiles Lee08 May 183,61849.751,800758,8690.900
Mission MarketingPeter Fitzwilliam (fd)08 May 183,61849.751,800697,5030.827
Personal Assets Trust Frank Rushbrook03 May 18439,274.501,57113,6480.616
Personal Assets Trust♥Frank Rushbrook03 May 18439,344.701,57413,6520.617
Petropavlovsk♥Bektas Mukazhanov03 May 1840,0006.782,7121,192,4060.036
Pittards Louise Cretton03 May 182,20390.51,99414,2030.102
Polar Capital  Gavin Rochussen (ceo)04 May 189,500532.3550,5739,5000.010
Polar Capital  Gavin Rochussen (ceo)09 May 1819,456539.39104,94428,9560.031
Polar Capital  John Mansell (cfo)04 May 189,500532.3550,5731,721,5001.843
Polar Capital  John Mansell (cfo)09 May 1820,044539.39108,1151,741,5441.865
Premier Oil Dave Blackwood 03 May 1810,00095.59,55010,0000.001
R E A  David Blackett (ch)08 May 1815,00031046,50025,0000.062
SimplyBiz Matthew Timmins03 May 1825,000171.2542,8131,561,9752.043
Smith & Nephew Roland Diggelmann09 May 182081,295.502,6952080.000
Smith & Nephew Roland Diggelmann09 May 181,1611,295.5015,0411,3690.000
Smith & Nephew Roland Diggelmann09 May 183,1311,295.5040,5624,5000.001
Spirent Communications Bill Thomas (ch)04 May 1821,323116.5824,85867,4420.011
Temple Bar Investment Trust Nicholas Lyons03 May 187601,309.689,9547600.001
U and I  Richard Upton03 May 1845,992237109,0013,052,0262.440
VR Education  Tony Hanway08 May 18100,0001616,000100,0000.052
Weir  Clare Chapman04 May 184562,1809,9414560.000
Sells
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Ashtead  Wayne Edmunds04 May 187,0002,090146,30014,2600.003
Computacenter♥Gregory Lock (ch)08 May 1815,0271,254188,439574,9730.504
EVR*Anthony Matchett (ceo & ch)09 May 1815,625,000162,500,000168,482,79613.065
EVR*Steven Hancock09 May 1815,625,000162,500,000130,884,13610.149
Fiske Alexander Fiske-Harrison04 May 1816,8487813,141299,0002.586
Gamma Communications Andrew Stone08 May 18140,0007501,050,000305,0000.327
Independent Investment Trust (The) D McDougall (ch)03 May 1810,00075075,0008,074,50014.557
Independent Investment Trust (The) D McDougall (ch)08 May 1825,000750187,5008,049,50014.511
Independent Investment Trust (The)♥R Laing03 May 1810,00074474,400840,0001.514
Independent Investment Trust (The) R Laing03 May 1810,00074474,400850,0001.532
Independent Investment Trust (The)♥R Laing08 May 1810,00074074,000820,0001.478
Independent Investment Trust (The) R Laing08 May 1810,00074074,000830,0001.496
Joules  Marc Dench (cfo)04 May 1810,00037137,10088,2630.101
Joules  Marc Dench (cfo)04 May 1835,000365127,75053,2630.061
Metro Bank♥Howard Flight08 May 1820033326,66425,5160.029
*Placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party