LSE listed company is seeking to acquire companies within the Forex sector 

Boston International Holdings plc, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) formed to undertake one or more acquisitions of target companies or businesses in the FX sector, has issued an announcement to inform that its entire issued ordinary share capital consisting of 29,620,948 Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each will be admitted to the standard segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s main market for listed securities (together, the “Admission”).

It is expected that the Admission will become effective and that dealings will commence at 8.00 a.m. on 12 October 2016 under the ticker BIH. Since its incorporation, the company has raised gross proceeds of £1,382,476 through subscription by the founder and a private placing which closed shortly prior to listing.

Highlights:

• Following Admission, BIH is seeking to acquire companies within the FX sector to capitalise on consolidation opportunities and create shareholder value by driving positive change. The company is looking at targets across the entire FX value chain
• BIH will seek re-admission of the enlarged group following the acquisition through a reverse takeover to trading on the London Stock Exchange or admission to another stock exchange
• Once the first successful acquisition is completed (within 18 months) BIH will employ a roll-up acquisition strategy going forward
• Strong management team with deep experience across FX and FS sectors and sourcing M&A opportunities
• BIH will implement an operating strategy in the acquired business(es) to generate value for its Shareholders through:

– Operational improvements
– Potential complementary acquisitions
– Re-admission of the enlarged group

• BIH is looking for a company with the following investment criteria:

– Recent underperformance relative to capabilities
– Strong competitive industry position
– Large potential for growth
– Strong and experienced management teams

The Market

• Foreign exchange is the world’s largest financial market with trading volumes of over $5 trillion per day recorded in April 2016 [1]
• The UK market is the largest contributor and is responsible for almost 50% of the daily global volume [1]
• Prime brokered trades accounted for around 17.4% of this total, or $887 billion per day [1]
• Retail FX volumes account for around 5.5% of this total, or a value of $282 billion per day [1]

Use of proceeds:

• Acquiring target business as part of a share consideration
• Expenses relating to the acquisition (e.g. due diligence, legal and accounting costs)
• Remaining cash to be used for working capital purposes

Borden James, the Company’s Chairman, commented: “With global FX market volumes reaching over US$5tn per day, it is the largest financial market globally, yet it is also one of the most fragmented. This, combined with an increasingly complex regulatory environment and lower thresholds for risk across the industry, means that this fragmented market is prime for investment and consolidation.

“The knowledge and experience of the Board, in particular in the FX, financial services and legal and compliance sectors, will contribute to the implementation of company strategies in the acquired businesses that enhance shareholder value and generate strong returns for investors.

“We are very pleased to have secured investment for the Admission and look forward to executing our stated acquisition strategy for the benefit of our shareholders.”

[1] The Bank of International Settlements Triennial Central Bank Survey of foreign exchange and OTC derivatives markets in 2016, September 2016

Source: London Stock Exchange

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