One of the lesser-known financial stocks on the exchange was having quite a trading session on Monday. On news that Janus Henderson Group (JHG +11.34%) had received a premium-priced buyout offer, the financial services company's shares raced to a gain of over 11%. That compared most favorably to the slightly over 1% rise of the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC).
A hedged bet
Just before market open that day, Janus Henderson announced that it had received a nonbinding takeover bid from hedge fund and activist investor Trian Fund Management (aka Trian Partners). In combination with several of its affiliates, Trian is offering $46 per share for the company. As often occurs in these situations, Janus Henderson's share price swelled quickly to that level.
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The company said it aims to appoint and convene a special committee of its board of directors to evaluate Trian's proposal.
The hedge fund owns a small stake in Janus Henderson; it first disclosed an investment into the company in October 2020. At the moment, it has two representatives on Janus Henderson's board of directors. The company said it expects the special committee reviewing Trian's offer will not include either of these individuals.
NYSE: JHG
Key Data Points
Reasons to say yes
In the press release divulging the news, Janus Henderson wrote that it "appreciates the history of constructive engagement with Trian for the last several years." That's a sign that it might already be leaning toward accepting the offer, which also has the advantage of being priced at a decent premium.
