Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

FTSE 250 movers: Volution soars on Aussie deal; Dr Martens stumbles on stake sale

(Sharecast News) - FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,857.54 -1.44%

Volution said on Friday that it has agreed to buy Fantech Group in Australasia from Elta Group for up to AUD280m (£144m).

The price includes an initial consideration of AUD220m (£112.9m) on a debt/cash free basis, with a further non-contingent consideration of AUD60m (£30.8m) payable a year after the completion date.

Fantech, which includes the Fantech, Ideal Air, NCS Acoustics, Air Design, Major Air, Systemaire and Burra Steel brands, is a provider of both commercial and residential ventilation in Australia and commercial ventilation solutions in New Zealand.

For the year ended 31 March 2024, the business reported audited revenue of AUD177m (£90.8m) and EBITDA of AUD33.3m (£17.1m).

Volution said the deal is consistent with its "long-established strategy of acquiring leading ventilation brands to extend our routes to market and builds on the group's successful expansion in the region since our first acquisition of Simx in March 2018".

Once the deal completes and on a pro-forma basis, Australasia will represent over 30% of Volution's revenue.

Berenberg lifted its price target on 'buy'-rated Volution to 700p from 600p on news of the acquisition.

"This is Volution's largest acquisition to date and really encouraging to see such a strategically relevant deal come through," the bank said.

"We note it continues a trend of European products companies buying in Australia through 2024, which has included CRH and Saint-Gobain, and the deal economics look good."

Dr Martens tumbled on Friday after an unnamed investor sold around 70m shares in the iconic boot maker in a placing.

According to Bloomberg, the shares were placed at 57.85p each, which is discount of around 9.8% to the last closing share price.

The shares were placed via Goldman Sachs.

Market Movers

FTSE 250 - Risers

Volution Group (FAN) 618.00p 11.55% Bytes Technology Group (BYIT) 520.50p 9.67% Telecom Plus (TEP) 1,834.00p 3.03% Trainline (TRN) 336.00p 2.94% NCC Group (NCC) 176.40p 2.92% Elementis (ELM) 164.00p 2.89% Senior (SNR) 155.40p 2.78% SThree (STEM) 405.50p 2.53% Rathbones Group (RAT) 1,796.00p 2.05% St James's Place (STJ) 732.50p 1.88%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Dr. Martens (DOCS) 52.25p -18.49% Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) (BPT) 340.00p -11.27% Close Brothers Group (CBG) 449.80p -9.68% Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 1,490.00p -7.28% FirstGroup (FGP) 146.60p -6.33% Inchcape (INCH) 793.50p -4.63% SSP Group (SSPG) 161.00p -4.62% Investec (INVP) 565.00p -4.48% Coats Group (COA) 99.90p -4.13% Victrex plc (VCT) 925.00p -3.85%

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Europe midday: Shares pare losses as investors digest China tariff move
(Sharecast News) - European stocks pared losses as investors digested China's retaliatory moves against US tariffs and the 30-day pause on levies against Canada and Mexico.
US pre-open: Futures slightly lower as tariff headlines remain in focus
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were in the red ahead of the bell on Tuesday as the effects of the new White House administration's tariffs on a number of its closest trading partners continued to be seen.
Asia report: Markets bounce back from Trump tariff sell-off
(Sharecast News) - Asia-Pacific markets advanced on Tuesday as investor sentiment improved following Donald Trump's decision to pause tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month.
London open: FTSE falls again as China retaliates against US
(Sharecast News) - London stocks were lower again in early trade on Tuesday following heavy losses a day earlier, after China announced retaliatory tariffs on a range of US imports.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.