Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Tuesday, June 11 2019 - 06:54
AsiaNet
Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. Through its Australian Operation Announces Acquisition of Patersons Securities Limited
TORONTO and MELBOURNE, June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

-- Agreement substantially increases scale of the Company's wealth management 
business in the region and establishes a significant platform for expansion in 
Australia

Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (TSX: CF, "Canaccord Genuity", the "Company") is 
pleased to announce that through its Australian operation, Canaccord Financial 
Group (Australia) Pty Ltd ("Canaccord Genuity Australia"), it has agreed to 
acquire Patersons Securities Limited ("Patersons"), a premier independent 
Australian securities business, with operations in wealth management and 
capital markets. 

"This transaction builds upon the work that our Australian partners have done 
to make Canaccord Genuity an increasingly stronger competitor in Australia" 
said Dan Daviau, President and CEO of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. "The 
addition of Patersons supports our strategy of substantially increasing the 
scale of our wealth management operations and improving our business mix to 
deliver greater stability and long-term value for our clients and our 
shareholders.  We look forward to supporting continued growth in Australia."

"This business combination creates a leading Australian capital markets, 
stockbroking and wealth management business with a powerful offering for our 
respective corporate, institutional, and private clients," said Marcus Freeman, 
CEO of Canaccord Genuity Australia. "The cultural alignment between the two 
teams has been clear from our first interaction and has been the foundation for 
all discussions. We are delighted to welcome Patersons' outstanding team of 
professionals to our firm and we look forward to working together to deliver 
enhanced services and opportunities for our combined client base."

Michael Manford, Executive Chairman of Patersons said: "The rationale for 
joining Canaccord Genuity is compelling and provides additional breadth and 
depth of services for our clients, who will benefit from access to globally 
integrated wealth management, corporate finance and equity research 
capabilities. Most importantly, the Patersons and Canaccord Genuity Australia 
teams place a high value on employee partnership and lasting client 
relationships."

Senior management of Patersons will continue to have significant involvement 
and influence in driving the growth and development of the combined business. 
Canaccord Genuity Australia's Wealth Management business will be known as CG 
Patersons, and Michael Manford, Patersons' Executive Chairman, will be the 
Executive Chairman of CG Patersons.

For the year ended June 30, 2018 Patersons earned net revenue of C$57.7 million 
(A$61.8 million) and net income of C$3.0 million (A$3.2 million). After a 
difficult first half, Patersons is expected to be breakeven for the year ended 
June 30, 2019 with annualized net revenue of approximately C$48 million (A$52 
million). The wealth management business of Patersons has more than 100 
investment advisors with C$12.6 billion (A$13.6 billion) in client assets under 
advice. 

TRANSACTION OVERVIEW 

The transaction will be implemented via a scheme of arrangement under the 
Corporations Act. Canaccord Genuity Australia and Patersons have entered into a 
Scheme Implementation Agreement ("SIA"). Implementation of the transaction is 
subject to various conditions including Patersons' shareholder approval, court 
approval, regulatory approvals, an Independent Expert concluding that the 
transaction is in the best interests of Patersons shareholders, satisfactory 
completion of due diligence by Canaccord Genuity and other customary 
conditions.  

Patersons' Directors and senior management, representing 60% of Patersons 
shareholders, have confirmed that they will be voting in favour of the scheme 
and Patersons' Directors unanimously recommend that Patersons shareholders vote 
in favor of the proposed transaction (in each case, in the absence of a 
superior proposal and subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the 
transaction is in the best interests of Patersons shareholders). 

Cash consideration of A$25.0 million (A$0.2355 per share, C$23.3 million) will 
be payable on closing ($0.015 per share escrowed). Following the closing of the 
transaction, Canaccord Genuity will implement an equity incentive program for 
key Patersons employees. The objectives of the plan are to increase employee 
stock exposure and provide a link between strategic objectives, market practice 
and the established culture of ownership and entrepreneurialism while 
attracting, motivating, and retaining employees.

A meeting of Patersons shareholders to vote on the transaction is expected to 
be held in October 2019. The acquisition is expected to be completed during the 
quarter ended December 31, 2019 which will be the third quarter of Canaccord 
Genuity Group's 2020 fiscal year.

Canaccord Genuity has been advised by EM Advisory and Allens and Patersons has 
been advised by Clayton Utz.

ABOUT PATERSONS SECURITIES

Founded in 1903, Patersons Securities Limited (Patersons) has become one of 
Australia's premier financial services firms, offering comprehensive investment 
management, financial planning, stockbroking advice and execution services for 
Australian mass-affluent investors. Patersons also engages in corporate finance 
activities, providing debt and equity solutions for emerging small- and mid-cap 
companies in Australia, complemented by institutional dealing capabilities 
serving domestic, Asian and other international institutional clients investing 
in Australia. The firm has established a strong presence in mainland Australia 
with locations in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South 
Wales, Queensland and Australian Capital Territory.

ABOUT CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH MANAGEMENT 

The wealth management operations of the Canaccord Genuity group (Canaccord 
Genuity Wealth Management) provide comprehensive wealth management solutions 
and brokerage services to individual investors, private clients, charities and 
intermediaries through a full suite of services tailored to the needs of 
clients in each of its markets. Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management has 
Investment Advisors (IAs) and professionals in Canada, the UK, Jersey, 
Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Australia and has advisors in Canada who are 
registered in the US. In Canada, Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management is a 
division of Canaccord Genuity Corp. In the UK, Canaccord Genuity Wealth 
Management operates as Canaccord Genuity Wealth Limited and, in the Channel 
Islands and the Isle of Man, as Canaccord Genuity Wealth (International) 
Limited. Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management deals with US persons through 
Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management (USA) Inc. 

ABOUT CANACCORD GENUITY GROUP INC.

Through its principal subsidiaries, Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (the Company) 
is a leading independent, full-service financial services firm, with operations 
in two principal segments of the securities industry: wealth management and 
capital markets. Since its establishment in 1950, the Company has been driven 
by an unwavering commitment to building lasting client relationships. We 
achieve this by generating value for our individual, institutional and 
corporate clients through comprehensive investment solutions, brokerage 
services and investment banking services. The Company has wealth management 
offices located in Canada, the UK, Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man and 
Australia. Canaccord Genuity, the international capital markets division, 
operates in North America, UK & Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. We 
are driven by your success.

Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. is publicly traded under the symbol CF on the TSX.

Investor and media relations inquiries: Christina Marinoff, Vice President, 
Investor Relations & Communications, Canaccord Genuity Corp., +1-416-687-5507 , 
cmarinoff@cgf.com, www.cgf.com/investor-relations

SOURCE Canaccord Genuity Group Inc.