As SalmonBusiness reported on Monday morning, the fish health company Benchmark Holdings has recently completed a share issue where the company raised £20.7 million. The issue was arranged before the company presented its report for the fourth quarter of 2021, and at the same time announced plans to list the shares on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
In a statement to the London Stock Exchange on Monday afternoon, Benchmark states that Ferd, owned by billionaire Johan Andresen and his family, has subscribed for 12.3 million shares in the recently completed private placement. This means that Ferd is increasing its ownership position in Benchmark, from 25.8 per cent to 26.3 per cent.
The second largest owner in the British-registered Benchmark is Witzøe-controlled Kverva, which before the issue owned 19.3 per cent of the company.
JNE Partners and Lansdowne Partners are the third and fourth largest owners in Benchmark, with 16.7 per cent and five per cent of the shares respectively. Both of the latter players are investment companies based in London.
Benchmark is considering listing in Oslo “to gain access to the world’s leading marketplace for seafood and aquaculture”. In this connection, DnB Markets and Pareto Securities have been engaged as advisers and former Mowi CEO Atle Eide has been appointed as a new board member.
