Investors tired of company bosses’ speeches on inflation and rates this earnings season should have a little pick me up on Wednesday, when Platinum Asset Management is due to report its December-half results.The company issued a “no comment” on Monday afternoon, choosing to stay shtum on its largest shareholder and former boss
If Platinum’s AGM is anything to go by, its boss Andrew Clifford would be prepping for a tough question or two. Back in November, shareholders dug into everything from share buybacks, high fees, high staff salaries and separating the CEO role - even if remuneration, elections and re-elections were voted in comfortably.
To be fair to Platinum, it’s funds’ performance has ticked up in the recent months and share price has followed suit. Yet, the company has more than halved in market capitalisation terms during its 16 years on the ASX boards and is swimming against the tide in keeping its CEO and CIO the same. More importantly, it seems to have a pre-bid stake up for grabs for a wily suitor.For the same reasons, Regal Partners’ full-year results call two days later, on Friday, should be well attended.
At $609 million market capitalisation, Regal is much smaller than Platinum Asset Management’s $1.35 billion. But it has shown it’s got the clout to bring in a deep-pocketed private equity investor, as it did at Perpetual, where BPEA EQT would have footed bulk of the equity bill.
Wtf is shtum ?