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«I saw a great interest in Italy, its companies and its productive fabric and a very different attitude compared to a few years ago on the part of investors, who are ready to focus on our country». Alessandro Melzi d’Eril just got back from roadshow in the United States of Anima, the group at the helm of which he has been leading since April 2020, with a rather clear conviction: judging by the attitude of those who hold large capital on Wall Street, the atmosphere seems to have decidedly changed towards Italy, of the savings sector and therefore also of a “pure” asset manager like it Soul.
The return of US shareholders
Behind his sensation, however, there are also concrete data: «The share of Anima shares in the hands of US investors, which historically stood at around 30-40% of those available on the market, has drastically reduced to almost zero starting from 2018 and subsequently with the pandemic, but now I see encouraging signs”, he explains during an interview with The sun 24 hours Melzi d’Eril, ready to support the thesis also with the fact that the stars and stripes present at the last meeting of the group’s shareholders already held almost 10% of the share capital.
In the USA I saw appreciation for the moment of relative political stability and good performance of the Italian economy
The renewed attention dedicated to an industry such as savings, kept aside in recent years by those operating from across the Atlantic, certainly cannot ignore considerations about Italy itself. «I believe there is appreciation for the moment of relative political stability and good economic performance, also because our companies have proven to be more agile and flexible in dealing with complex situations which have followed one another in recent years and therefore even more resilient than, for example, those of other countries in Europe such as Germany», admits the CEO of Anima.
This is therefore the essential prerequisite for an institutional investor who comes from the USA and who typically uses an approach top down: first choose the geographical area deemed interesting (in this case Europeback in vogue, and in the alternative Italy), then evaluates the sector (that of savings which becomes attractive with the possible decline in rates and the favorable trend of the markets) and finally reaches the point of selecting the single title.
The new strategic plan
Anima, for its part, presented itself at the meeting with investors in a renewed guise, while maintaining its usual business unchanged. The acquisitions of Castello and Kairos of the last twelve months have in fact made it possible to add new skills and further develop the areas relating to private markets and high-end customers. It is certainly no coincidence that the main indications of the new strategic plan 2024-2028 are dedicated to the development of these realities: the overall objective for Anima Alternative, Castello and Kairos is double the assets managed in 5 yearswhich are currently worth together around 9 billion euros, and of multiply the profitability by 4.
