09/09/2025
We’re delighted to have helped the UK's Hansa Investment and Ocean Wilsons Holdings with an agreed all-share merger to create a diversified investment firm with more than £900m in net assets, with plans to grow assets to £1bn.
Prior to the merger, B&C assisted Ocean Wilsons with documentation for its proposed return of up to £123m to shareholders by way of Tender Offer for up to 7,072,608 shares.
Ocean Wilsons is an investment holding company listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Bermuda Stock Exchange, while Hansa is a Bermuda closed-ended investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The possible combination would bring together Hansa and Ocean Wilsons to create a differentiated investment company of meaningful scale with a diversified, global portfolio of investment funds, direct equities and private assets, to create a strong platform for long-term value creation.
Ocean Wilsons makes up more than a quarter of Saloman banking family-backed Hansa Trust’s portfolio. Hansa has a long and intertwined history with Ocean Wilsons, in which it has held a stake for over 66 years. It is currently the largest position in the fund at 27.3%.
"While global markets remain challenging, we believe that the combined group's unconstrained multi-asset approach will provide a differentiated and diversified investment proposition," Hansa Chair Jonathan Davie said.
Our thanks to our wonderful clients at the company and advisors Winterflood Securities and Slaughter & May.
If you'd like to find out how we can help ensure the success of your most critical M&A transactions, chat with us today: hello@blackandcallow.com
