Mergers and acquisitions activity was materially stronger in the second quarter, increasing 33% compared to the first quarter of 2023, and it marked the strongest quarter for new deal activity in the last 12 months. Despite this pickup in activity, dealmaking in the first half totaled $1.3 trillion and is still 37% lower than the first half of 2022. The Healthcare sector has been the most fertile ground for dealmaking in 2023, with deals totaling $188 billion, an increase of 43% compared to 2022 levels and the sector accounted for 14% of all M&A. Energy & Power and Technology each accounted for 14% of dealmaking in the first half as well. Private Equity accounted for 21% of total M&A in the first half, down from 26% in 2022, as total volume reached $279 billion, a decline of 49% compared to the first half of 2022.
Strategy performance in June was bolstered by closed deals including Qualtrics (XM-Nasdaq), Prometheus Biosciences (RXDX-Nasdaq), U.S. Express Enterprises (USX-NYSE), and BELLUS Health (BLU-Nasdaq), as well as spreads that generally firmed following a volatile May. The strategy also benefitted from a bidding war that emerged for CIRCOR International (CIR-$56.45-NYSE), a manufacturer of flow control products
U.S. stocks were higher for the month as encouraging indications of disinflation and optimistic soft landing narratives took hold. Recent economic data has revealed a greater prevalence of disinflationary trends, exemplified by May’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) exhibiting a softer-than-anticipated figure. In fact, the headline CPI recorded its lowest annual increase in over two years. Throughout this month, mega-cap tech stocks displayed notable strength, propelled by sustained optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), despite a few sell-side downgrades and apprehensions that the market may have already overbought AI-related tech names.
Earlier in the month, after tense negotiations, Congress approved a deal to raise the government’s borrowing limit that helped prevent a potential economic catastrophe. This deal suspends the U.S.’s debt limit until January 2025, allowing the federal government to keep borrowing money so it can pay its bills on time.
On June 14, the Federal Reserve decided to not raise rates, leaving the targeted federal funds rate at 5.00-5.25%. This pause in June signifies a significant milestone as it represents the first policy meeting in which the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) refrained from raising interest rates since it began its monetary policy tightening cycle in March 2022. Fed Chair Jerome Powell lauded the resilience of U.S. growth and the job market, emphasizing their robust performance that surpassed initial expectations amidst the backdrop of an assertive monetary policy tightening over the past year. The next FOMC meeting is July 26-27.
Mega-cap tech stocks continued to be the prime beneficiaries of the recent positive momentum regarding artificial intelligence, helping the S&P 500 (+6.5%) and Nasdaq (+6.6%) extend their streak of monthly gains to four months, while the small-cap Russell 2000 Value (+7.9%) had its best month since January. We see abundant opportunities in small to mid-cap stocks, given the compelling valuation of the Russell 2000 Value, which currently trades at only 10-12x earnings. This stands in stark contrast to the broader market, which hovers closer to 20x earnings, representing one of the biggest deltas we have ever witnessed.
In June the convertible market moved sharply higher as investors were willing to take on risk again. The rally was broad in scope across the market with equity alternative convertibles contributing the most to index performance. We have highlighted the value in total return and fixed income equivalent convertibles over the last few quarters, and these holdings performed well as equities moved higher. We still see opportunity in a balanced convertible portfolio. While the market took a risk-on stance in June there is still a wall of worry it must climb to return to previous highs and beyond. Convertibles offer a risk adjusted way to participate in this market. Investors can own equity sensitive convertibles in companies where they have conviction while benefiting from the asymmetrical profile of total return and fixed income equivalent convertibles. Yields to maturity are no longer as excessive as they once were, but many are still quite attractive in companies that are appropriately managing their balance sheets and cash flows. These are often convertibles within a few years of maturity that we expect to accrete to par over that time. These convertibles should have limited downside from here and we expect them to outperform equities in a flat, down, or volatile market.
New convertible issuance this month came at a reasonable pace. We continue to be on track for a better year of issuance than we saw in 2022, but below the peak years of 2020 and 2021. What we did see this month was a healthy mix of new and returning issuers to our market. New issuance has generally been attractive with higher coupons, lower premiums and more asymmetrical returns than are available in the secondary market. We have continued to see companies buying back convertibles in a transaction that is accretive to earnings and positive for the credit. We expect this bid to continue to benefit some positions in the fund.
Opinion article by Michael Gabelli, Managing Director and President of Gabelli & Partners.
To access our proprietary value investment methodology, and dedicated merger arbitrage portfolio we offer the following UCITS Funds in each discipline:
GAMCO MERGER ARBITRAGE
GAMCO Merger Arbitrage UCITS Fund, launched in October 2011, is an open-end fund incorporated in Luxembourg and compliant with UCITS regulation. The team, dedicated strategy, and record dates back to 1985. The objective of the GAMCO Merger Arbitrage Fund is to achieve long-term capital growth by investing primarily in announced equity merger and acquisition transactions while maintaining a diversified portfolio. The Fund utilizes a highly specialized investment approach designed principally to profit from the successful completion of proposed mergers, takeovers, tender offers, leveraged buyouts and other types of corporate reorganizations. Analyzes and continuously monitors each pending transaction for potential risk, including: regulatory, terms, financing, and shareholder approval.
Merger investments are a highly liquid, non-market correlated, proven and consistent alternative to traditional fixed income and equity securities. Merger returns are dependent on deal spreads. Deal spreads are a function of time, deal risk premium, and interest rates. Returns are thus correlated to interest rate changes over the medium term and not the broader equity market. The prospect of rising rates would imply higher returns on mergers as spreads widen to compensate arbitrageurs. As bond markets decline (interest rates rise), merger returns should improve as capital allocation decisions adjust to the changes in the costs of capital.
Broad Market volatility can lead to widening of spreads in merger positions, coupled with our well-researched merger portfolios, offer the potential for enhanced IRRs through dynamic position sizing. Daily price volatility fluctuations coupled with less proprietary capital (the Volcker rule) in the U.S. have contributed to improving merger spreads and thus, overall returns. Thus our fund is well positioned as a cash substitute or fixed income alternative.
Our objectives are to compound and preserve wealth over time, while remaining non-correlated to the broad global markets. We created our first dedicated merger fund 32 years ago. Since then, our merger performance has grown client assets at an annualized rate of approximately 10.7% gross and 7.6% net since 1985. Today, we manage assets on behalf of institutional and high net worth clients globally in a variety of fund structures and mandates.
Class I USD – LU0687944552
Class I EUR – LU0687944396
Class A USD – LU0687943745
Class A EUR – LU0687943661
Class R USD – LU1453360825
Class R EUR – LU1453361476
GAMCO ALL CAP VALUE
The GAMCO All Cap Value UCITS Fund launched in May, 2015 utilizes Gabelli’s its proprietary PMV with a Catalyst™ investment methodology, which has been in place since 1977. The Fund seeks absolute returns through event driven value investing. Our methodology centers around fundamental, research-driven, value based investing with a focus on asset values, cash flows and identifiable catalysts to maximize returns independent of market direction. The fund draws on the experience of its global portfolio team and 35+ value research analysts.
GAMCO is an active, bottom-up, value investor, and seeks to achieve real capital appreciation (relative to inflation) over the long term regardless of market cycles. Our value-oriented stock selection process is based on the fundamental investment principles first articulated in 1934 by Graham and Dodd, the founders of modern security analysis, and further augmented by Mario Gabelli in 1977 with his introduction of the concepts of Private Market Value (PMV) with a Catalyst™ into equity analysis. PMV with a Catalyst™ is our unique research methodology that focuses on individual stock selection by identifying firms selling below intrinsic value with a reasonable probability of realizing their PMV’s which we define as the price a strategic or financial acquirer would be willing to pay for the entire enterprise. The fundamental valuation factors utilized to evaluate securities prior to inclusion/exclusion into the portfolio, our research driven approach views fundamental analysis as a three pronged approach: free cash flow (earnings before, interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, minus the capital expenditures necessary to grow/maintain the business); earnings per share trends; and private market value (PMV), which encompasses on and off balance sheet assets and liabilities. Our team arrives at a PMV valuation by a rigorous assessment of fundamentals from publicly available information and judgement gained from meeting management, covering all size companies globally and our comprehensive, accumulated knowledge of a variety of sectors. We then identify businesses for the portfolio possessing the proper margin of safety and research variables from our deep research universe.
Class I USD – LU1216601648
Class I EUR – LU1216601564
Class A USD – LU1216600913
Class A EUR – LU1216600673
Class R USD – LU1453359900
Class R EUR – LU1453360155
GAMCO CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES
GAMCO Convertible Securities’ objective is to seek to provide current income as well as long term capital appreciation through a total return strategy by investing in a diversified portfolio of global convertible securities.
The Fund leverages the firm’s history of investing in dedicated convertible security portfolios since 1979.
The fund invests in convertible securities, as well as other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities, across global markets (but the fund will not invest in contingent convertible notes). The fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization or credit quality, including up to 100% in below investment grade or unrated securities, and may from time to time invest a significant amount of its assets in securities of smaller companies. Convertible securities may include any suitable convertible instruments such as convertible bonds, convertible notes or convertible preference shares.
By actively managing the fund and investing in convertible securities, the investment manager seeks the opportunity to participate in the capital appreciation of underlying stocks, while at the same time relying on the fixed income aspect of the convertible securities to provide current income and reduced price volatility, which can limit the risk of loss in a down equity market.
Class I USD LU2264533006
Class I EUR LU2264532966
Class A USD LU2264532701
Class A EUR LU2264532610
Class R USD LU2264533345
Class R EUR LU2264533261
Class F USD LU2264533691
Class F EUR LU2264533428
Disclaimer:
The information and any opinions have been obtained from or are based on sources believed to be reliable but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. No responsibility can be accepted for any consequential loss arising from the use of this information. The information is expressed at its date and is issued only to and directed only at those individuals who are permitted to receive such information in accordance with the applicable statutes. In some countries the distribution of this publication may be restricted. It is your responsibility to find out what those restrictions are and observe them.
Some of the statements in this presentation may contain or be based on forward looking statements, forecasts, estimates, projections, targets, or prognosis (“forward looking statements”), which reflect the manager’s current view of future events, economic developments and financial performance. Such forward looking statements are typically indicated by the use of words which express an estimate, expectation, belief, target or forecast. Such forward looking statements are based on an assessment of historical economic data, on the experience and current plans of the investment manager and/or certain advisors of the manager, and on the indicated sources. These forward looking statements contain no representation or warranty of whatever kind that such future events will occur or that they will occur as described herein, or that such results will be achieved by the fund or the investments of the fund, as the occurrence of these events and the results of the fund are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The actual portfolio, and thus results, of the fund may differ substantially from those assumed in the forward looking statements. The manager and its affiliates will not undertake to update or review the forward looking statements contained in this presentation, whether as result of new information or any future event or otherwise.
