CDP Equity explained

CDP Equity S.p.A.
Native Name:Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Equity S.p.A.
Former Name:Fondo Strategico Italiano S.p.A.
Type:Società per azioni
Industry:Financial services
Founder:Cassa Depositi e Prestiti
Hq Location:Palazzo Busca
Hq Location City:Milan
Hq Location Country:Italy
Area Served:Italy
Services:Merchant bank
Net Income: €249.446 million
Net Income Year:2014
Assets: €5.564 billion
Assets Year:2014
Equity: €4.833 billion
Equity Year:2014
Owner:Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (100%)
Parent:CDP Group
Footnotes:In separate financial statements[1]

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Equity S.p.A. (formerly Fondo Strategico Italiano S.p.A.; FSI S.p.A.) also known as CDP Equity S.p.A., is a majority state-owned Italian sovereign wealth fund established in 2011. Its purpose is to invest in strategic Italian companies to help them to compete globally.

History

The fund was established in 2011 as Fondo Strategico Italiano.[2] Its mandate was to invest in strategic Italian companies to help them to compete globally. The fund's activity is restricted to healthy and profitable Italian businesses, with solid growth prospects, in need of capital injection to enlarge their business and be competitive on a global scale.[3] The initial capital of the fund totalled €1 billion, with 90% of this sum contributed by CDP and 10% from Fintecna. The CDP is ready to inject a total amount of €4 billion.

The fund was set up by the state-controlled lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) on the directive of Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti, emulating a similar fund in France, allegedly after French dairy company Groupe Lactalis SA made a successful takeover bid for Parmalat.[4]

The fund become a member of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds and signed up to the Santiago Principles on best precise on managing Sovereign Wealth Funds.[5] [6] [7]

In September 2011, Maurizio Tamagnini, formerly a top investment banker at Merrill Lynch, was hired as the CEO of the fund. The position of chairman is filled by Giovanni Gorno Tempini, who was also the CEO of CDP, and is now its chairman of the board.[8]

On 31 March 2016, Fondo Strategico Italiano was renamed into CDP Equity.[9]

On 5 August 2016, Bank of Italy withdrew its 20% stake from CDP Equity.[10]

Investments

In May 2012, the Italian Strategic Fund stated that it would give financial backing to help fund a project that will bring fiber-optic cable to Italy's main cities, as part of the country's attempt to increase high-speed internet connectivity. The €4.5 billion project, led by fibre-optic company Metroweb (was a subsidiary of F2i First Fund via F2i Reti TLC) will receive an initial €200 million from Fondo Strategico Italiano through F2i Reti TLC. There is also an option for the fund to provide a further €300 million.[11]

In May 2012, the Fondo Strategico Italiano acquired an 18.6% stake in biopharmaceutical company Kedrion S.p.A. from holding company Sestant S.p.A. for a total of €150 million. In addition, the Fondo Strategico Italiano has an option to acquire a majority stake in Kedrion from Sestant.[12]

Also in May 2012, the defence and aerospace group Finmeccanica agreed to sell its 14% stake in aero-engine parts maker Avio to the Fondo Strategico Italiano. According to Finmeccanica, the deal is subject to Avio being listed on the Milan stock exchange before the end of 2012.[13] In November 2012, Prime Minister Mario Monti, signed with the Government of Qatar a €2 billion development project; the main investor is Qatar Holding.[14]

It was announced in March 2014, that the Fondo Strategico Italiano had made a non-binding offer for a 30% stake in the Spanish olive oil producer Deoleo.[15]

In July 2016 Enel Open Fiber acquired Metroweb from F2i SGR and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. However, CDP Equity also acquired 50% stake in Open Fiber.[16] [17] [18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2014 Bilancio. 2014 Annual Report. 19 May 2015. 26 September 2016. Fondo Strategico Italiano. Italian. https://web.archive.org/web/20161222022801/http://www.cdpequity.it/static/upload/fsi/fsi_bilancio-2014.pdf. 22 December 2016. dead.
  2. Book: Liu, Zongyuan Zoe . Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances its Global Ambitions . . 2023 . 9780674271913 .
  3. News: SWF Institute . Italian Strategic Fund . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426172615/http://www.swfinstitute.org/swfs/italian-strategic-fund/ . 2012-04-26 . SWF Institute.
  4. News: Tamagnini Named CEO of Italian Strategic Fund . Christopher Emsden. Wall Street Journal. 12 September 2011.
  5. Web site: IFSWF Our members . International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds . 24 September 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160927094338/http://www.ifswf.org/members . 27 September 2016 .
  6. Web site: Invest with CDP Equity . CDPequity.it . 28 October 2016.
  7. Web site: Santiago Principles Self-Assessment - CDP Equity SpA. May 29, 2021.
  8. News: Executive Profile: Giovanni Gorno Tempini. https://archive.today/20130118192031/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=21753521&ticker=SRN:IM. dead. January 18, 2013. Bloomberg Businessweek.
  9. Web site: FSI - About us.
  10. Web site: The Bank of Italy's capital withdrawal from CDP Equity (formerly FSI SpA). 5 August 2016. 9 August 2016. Bank of Italy.
  11. News: Italy fund to inject up to 500 mln euro in fibre rollout. Stephen Jewkes, Luca Trogni and Danilo Masoni. Reuters. 28 May 2012.
  12. News: Fondo Strategico Italiano Acquires 18.6% Stake In Kedrion From Sestant For $188 Million. https://archive.today/20130201074738/http://www.researchviews.com/healthcare/pharma/immunology/DealReport.aspx?sector=Immunology&DealID=195062. dead. 1 February 2013. Research Views. Research Views. 28 May 2012.
  13. News: Finmeccanica to sell Avio stake to state-led fund. Stephen Jewkes and Hans-Juergen Peters. Reuters. 31 May 2012. 30 June 2017. 1 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120601115045/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/31/avio-finmeccanica-idUSL5E8GV2OT20120531. live.
  14. Web site: Italy's Monti seals investment deal with Qatar .
  15. News: Italy strategic fund says made offer for stake in Spain's Deoleo. Reuters. 6 March 2014. 6 March 2014. 7 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140307003328/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/06/us-italy-fsi-deoleo-idUSBREA252CB20140306. live.
  16. Web site: OPEN FIBER PERFEZIONA L'ACQUISIZIONE DI METROWEB . 2016-12-24 . www.enelopenfiber.it . it-IT.
  17. Web site: OPEN FIBER: CDA APPROVA FUSIONE METROWEB. . 2017-01-27 . www.enelopenfiber.it . it-IT .
  18. Web site: ENEL ACCELERATES ON BROADBAND WITH METROWEB ACQUISITION . www.enel.com . en . 2016-08-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160829043208/https://www.enel.com/en-GB/Pages/media/press/detail.aspx?source=investors&id=955&title=ENEL%20ACCELERATES%20ON%20BROADBAND%20WITH%20METROWEB%20ACQUISITION&curPage=1 . dead .