Inside Information, company announcement no. 21
SimCorp announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire all shares in AIM Holding SCA and its subsidiaries (“AIM Software”), for a total enterprise value of EUR 60m. Closing of the acquisition is expected to be around August 1, 2019, subject to certain conditions.
AIM Software is a leading provider of data management solutions with a specialized focus on the buy-side and a long-standing partner to SimCorp. AIM Software has around 75 employees, with offices in Vienna, London and New York. Additionally, it has 40 people with a third-party service provider. In 2018, AIM Software generated revenue of EUR 15.5m.*
The acquisition will strengthen SimCorp’s strategic position and competitiveness in the market. Data management is an area of growing importance to buy side firms and increasingly central to any investment manager’s operational foundation. Also, it is often a key consideration in system selection processes. AIM Software’s market-leading solution will provide SimCorp with an even stronger value proposition, adding new capabilities in an area naturally linked to its existing front-to-back offering.
SimCorp expects to realize cross-selling synergies from the complimentary products and shared target client base, as well as cost synergies, for instance from combining the two firm’s office locations.
In 2019, SimCorp expects the acquisition to increase its revenue by approximately 2% and have a negative impact on its EBIT margin of approximately 1%-point due to lower initial profitability and certain non-recurring costs associated with the acquisition. As a consequence, SimCorp adjusts its expectations for revenue growth measured in local currencies for 2019 to between 10% and 15% (previously 8%-13%), and for EBIT margin measured in local currencies for 2019 to be between 24.5% and 27.5% (previously 25.5%-28.5%).
The acquisition is also expected to be EBIT margin dilutive in 2020, while EBIT margin neutral from 2021 due to full impact of synergy realizations.
Following the acquisition, AIM Software will be fully integrated into SimCorp. Its product GAIN will be renamed SimCorp Gain and become a core component of SimCorp’s future data management offering.
The acquisition will be financed by own cash reserves and credit facilities.
SimCorp will complete its “Safe Harbour” share buy-back program of EUR 12.5m initiated in connection with release of the 2018 Annual Report, but does not plan to initiate a new program in 2019 due to the acquisition.
Gayatri Raman, CEO of AIM Software, comments: “AIM and SimCorp have had a long-standing, successful partnership, working closely to serve buy side clients globally. The AIM team is excited to continue our journey on becoming a leader in data management for the buy-side as part of SimCorp. SimCorp’s global market reach, commitment to its employees, along with substantial investments in R&D, will allow us to continue to deliver innovative data management solutions to our clients.”
Klaus Holse, CEO of SimCorp, comments: ”We are excited to welcome AIM’s team to the SimCorp family and AIM’s clients to our global client community. AIM’s market-leading data management solution, GAIN, is a valuable addition to our portfolio, supplementing our offering in an area of strategic importance to our clients. The combination of AIM’s data management capabilities and SimCorp’s integrated front-to-back, multi-asset investment solution will allow us to provide asset managers and asset owners alike with an even more comprehensive end-to-end offering, further strengthening our leadership position in an ever-evolving industry.”
*Unaudited consolidated numbers.
SimCorp’s Executive Management Board will host a conference call about the acquisition today at 11.00 (CEST). Please use any of the following phone numbers to dial in to the conference call:
From Denmark: +45 3272 8042
From USA: +1 6315107495
From other countries: +44 (0) 2071 928000
Pin code to access the call: 7087918
Enquiries regarding this announcement should be addressed to:
Investor contacts:
Klaus Holse, Chief Executive Officer, SimCorp A/S (+45 3544 8800, +45 2326 0000)
Michael Rosenvold, Chief Financial Officer, SimCorp A/S (+45 3544 8800, +45 5235 0000)
Media contact:
Anders Crillesen, Group Communications Director, (+45 3544 6474, +45 2779 1286)
About AIM Software
AIM Software provides data management solutions to the buy-side community. AIM’s GAIN suite of business applications helps leading financial institutions aggregate, master and report on their market data. Our clients collectively manage USD 13 Trillion in AUM. AIM has around 115 people and operates in key financial markets with offices in Vienna, London and New York. For more information, please visit www.aimsoftware.com.
About SimCorp
SimCorp provides integrated, best-in-class investment management solutions to the world’s leading asset managers, fund managers, asset servicers, pension and insurance funds, wealth managers, banks and sovereign wealth funds. Regardless of how you deploy it, SimCorp’s core solution, SimCorp Dimension®, and its life-cycle services support the entire investment value chain and range of instruments, all based on a market-leading IBOR. SimCorp invests around 20% of its annual revenue in R&D, helping clients develop their business and stay ahead of ever-changing industry demands. Listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen, SimCorp is a global company, regionally covering all of Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.simcorp.com.