180 Degree Capital Corp. (NASDAQ:TURN) today issued the following
Q4 2024 Shareholder Letter:
Fellow Shareholders,
We are incredibly proud of our recent
announcement of the signing of a definitive agreement for 180
Degree Capital Corp. (“180 Degree Capital”) to enter into a
business combination (the “Business Combination”) with Mount Logan
Capital Inc. (“Mount Logan”). For those of you who have not had a
chance to listen to our joint call with the team from Mount Logan
or review the presentation deck that summarizes the proposed
transaction, both can be found at
https://ir.180degreecapital.com/ir-calendar/detail/2908/180-degree-capital-and-mount-logan-capital-proposed-merger.
We expect to file a registration statement and joint proxy
statement/prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) soon. This document will give us the opportunity to
speak with our shareholders more extensively about the proposed
Business Combination and the process that led to our Board’s
unanimous approval of this strategically important transaction.
This proposed transaction is not the end of 180
Degree Capital. We believe it is the logical next step in our
evolution. It is also an opportunity that is not afforded commonly
to closed-end funds, particularly since we believe most have
limited differentiation. We believe there are clear reasons why 180
Degree Capital has this truly unique opportunity to combine with an
asset manager and to transition to an operating company. We will
get to those below, but first, I want to touch on why we believe
Mount Logan is a proverbial “diamond in the rough.”
Mount Logan has the following attributes that we
believe will provide value to 180 Degree Capital shareholders:
- Mount Logan has what we believe to
be an outstanding management team comprised of its CEO, Ted
Goldthorpe, its Co-Presidents, Matthias Ederer and Henry Wang, and
its CFO, Nikita Klassen;
- Mount Logan’s asset management
platform has approximately $2.4+ billion of assets under management
(as of September 30, 2024) that we believe generates predictable
fee revenue that can be used to benefit the growth of the combined
company and its shareholders;
- Mount Logan has operational
leverage and unique investment access through its association with
BC Partners, a leading global private equity and credit firm;
- Mount Logan is focused on what we
believe is the fast-growing market of private credit;
- We believe that Mount Logan remains
undiscovered by the majority of investors due to it being listed on
the Cboe Canada exchange rather than a US national exchange;
and
- We believe Mount Logan is
significantly undervalued by public market investors.
For 35 years, I have been a value investor
attempting to uncover great companies that I believe are trading
below their intrinsic value. As we spent more time with Ted and his
colleagues over the past six months, it became abundantly clear to
us that 1) we believe Mount Logan is one of these great
undiscovered and undervalued companies and 2) the combination of
our two companies has the potential to unlock substantial value for
180 Degree Capital shareholders by:
- Shifting the valuation of our
business from one based on net asset value to a valuation based on
operating metrics with a foundation of what we believe will be more
predictable fee-related revenues attributed to earnings from the
management of permanent and semi-permanent capital vehicles. Other
similar businesses commonly trade based on multiples of operating
metrics rather than discounts to net asset value.
- Changing to an asset-light
operating company that leverages an association with BC Partners
enables economies of scale that are not possible at 180 Degree
Capital’s current size; and
- Substantially increasing the
available capital for us to be able to leverage our relationships
with small and microcapitalization public companies, to develop
capital structure solutions that seek to unlock value and generate
favorable risk-adjusted returns.
I, as the largest individual shareholder of 180
Degree Capital, and Daniel as a top-ten shareholder, could not be
more excited about the future of the combined entity. We believe
the proposed Business Combination to be the best opportunity to
build value for all shareholders of 180 Degree Capital. We believe
strongly in 180 Degree Capital's future under the leadership of Ted
and his colleagues. I have been an investor in the public markets
for 35 years, during which investors entrusted me with billions of
dollars of capital. We are interested in building true value for
shareholders over the short and long term. We believe this
combination achieves both of these objectives.
We are not the only ones who understand the
potential for value creation from this Business Combination. Some
of our largest shareholders have signed either voting agreements or
non-binding indications of support, that when combined with
ownership of management and the board, account for approximately
27% of our outstanding shares in the aggregate. We appreciate the
time and consideration these shareholders spent to understand the
merits of this proposed Business Combination and their support for
it.
While we work toward filing the registration
statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed
Business Combination with the SEC, we thought this would be a good
time to reflect on our successes since the start of 180 Degree
Capital in 2017. We believe that these successes have enabled us to
enter at this next phase of 180 Degree Capital's evolution and
value creation for our fellow shareholders. Here are some of the
data points we are proud of and show our contributions since I
joined 180 Degree Capital’s predecessor company board of directors
in June 2016, when we started 180 Degree Capital at the end of
2016, and the end of last year:
|
June 30, 2016 |
December 31, 2016 |
December 31, 2024 |
Change from December 31, 2016 |
Day-to-Day Operating Expenses |
~$6.0 million |
~$6.3 million |
~$3.5 million |
-44% |
% Private Investments |
86% |
92% |
<1% |
-91% |
% Public Investments |
14% |
8% |
>99% |
+91% |
% Cash + Public Securities of NAV |
21%1 |
27% |
102% |
+75% |
Insider Ownership |
2.1%2 |
2.6%2 |
12.7% |
+10.1% |
1. Net of $5,000,000 in debt on balance sheet as
of June 30, 2016.2. Excludes restricted stock subject to forfeiture
provisions. The equity compensation program was terminated in March
2017 in conjunction with 180 Degree Capital’s transition from a
business development company to a registered closed-end fund.
We slashed expenses, in part by transitioning
from a business development company to a registered closed-end fund
structure. A collateral impact of this transition was the
elimination of our ability to compensate employees through the
issuance of options or restricted stock. We didn’t care. It was the
right decision for our shareholders. We transitioned the balance
sheet. We substantially increased insider ownership through solely
open market purchases. As noted previously, no equity was given to
the management team or other employees as compensation. No one has
bought and held more stock in the open market than me during that
time period.
As the table below shows, we believe our
shareholders have benefited from our ability to generate positive
returns on our investments since we took over management of 180
Degree Capital. These returns were offset by material declines in
the legacy private portfolio that we inherited.
Public PortfolioContribution to Change in
NAV(2017-2024) |
Legacy Private PortfolioContribution to
Change in NAV(2017-2024) |
+$3.13/share |
-$2.41/share |
|
TURN Public Portfolio Gross Total (Excluding SMA Carried
Interest) |
TURN Public Portfolio Gross Total (Including SMA Carried
Interest) |
Change in NAV |
Change in Stock Price |
Russell Microcap Index |
Lipper Peer Group Average |
Inception to DateQ4 2016 – Q4
2024 |
+185.7% |
+204.5% |
-33.9% |
-11.4% |
+68.5% |
+81.8% |
Math is math. Our public market investment
strategy over the history of 180 Degree Capital outperformed our
comparable peers and indices. It is fair to ask why our stock price
has not followed. We believe it is largely because of the
significant negative impact of the private portfolio that we
inherited, and the discounts disproportionately applied to
closed-end funds of our size. Hence, I come back to our proposed
Business Combination with Mount Logan, and what we believe it can
do to potentially unlock value for 180 Degree Capital shareholders
when we are no longer constrained by the market dynamics ascribed
to closed-end funds.
We will let our upcoming registration statement
and included joint proxy statement/prospectus provide the truth to
our shareholders regarding how and why our Board unanimously
approved this proposed Business Combination. In the meantime, our
work over the prior eight years set up 180 Degree Capital for this
next phase of what we believe will be long-term shareholder value
creation. We realize our lack of scale has caused our expense ratio
to be too high. We believe we have uncovered a unique solution for
that and other growth-limiting issues with our proposed Business
Combination. Our Board and management team firmly believe that this
Business Combination is in the best interest of all of our
shareholders. We could not be more excited about the potential for
future value creation as a result of combining with Mount Logan,
and we look forward to discussing this proposed combination with
all of you and prospective future shareholders of the combined
entity.
All the best,
Kevin M. RendinoChairman and Chief Executive
Officer
About 180 Degree Capital
Corp.
180 Degree Capital Corp. is a publicly traded
registered closed-end fund focused on investing in and providing
value-added assistance through constructive activism to what we
believe are substantially undervalued small, publicly traded
companies that have potential for significant turnarounds. Our goal
is that the result of our constructive activism leads to a reversal
in direction for the share price of these investee companies, i.e.,
a 180-degree turn. Detailed information about 180 Degree Capital
and its holdings can be found on its website at
www.180degreecapital.com.
Press Contact:Daniel B. WolfeRobert E.
Bigelow180 Degree Capital
Corp.973-746-4500ir@180degreecapital.com
Additional Information and Where to Find
It
In connection with the proposed Business
Combination, 180 Degree Capital intends to file with the SEC and
mail to its shareholders a proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the
“Proxy Statement”), containing a form of WHITE proxy card. In
addition, the surviving Delaware corporation, Mount Logan Capital
Inc. (“New Mount Logan”) plans to file with the SEC a registration
statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) that will
register the exchange of New Mount Logan shares in the Business
Combination and include the Proxy Statement and a prospectus of New
Mount Logan (the “Prospectus”). The Proxy Statement and the
Registration Statement (including the Prospectus) will each contain
important information about 180 Degree Capital, Mount Logan, New
Mount Logan, the Business Combination and related matters.
SHAREHOLDERS OF 180 DEGREE CAPITAL AND MOUNT LOGAN ARE URGED TO
READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS CONTAINED IN THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL
BE FILED WITH THE APPLICABLE SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES AS
WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY
AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT 180 DEGREE CAPITAL, MOUNT
LOGAN, NEW MOUNT LOGAN, THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND RELATED
MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain copies of these
documents and other documents filed with the applicable securities
regulatory authorities free of charge through the website
maintained by the SEC at https://www.sec.gov and the website
maintained by the Canadian securities regulators at
www.sedarplus.ca. Copies of the documents filed by 180 Degree
Capital are also available free of charge by accessing 180 Degree
Capital’s investor relations website at
https://ir.180degreecapital.com.
Certain Information Concerning the
Participants
180 Degree Capital, its directors and executive
officers and other members of management and employees may be
deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in
connection with the Business Combination. Information about 180
Degree Capital’s executive officers and directors is available in
180 Degree Capital’s Annual Report filed on Form N-CSR for the year
ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on February
13, 2025, and in its proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders (“2024 Annual Meeting”), which was filed with the SEC
on March 1, 2024. To the extent holdings by the directors and
executive officers of 180 Degree Capital securities reported in the
proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting have changed, such
changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in
Ownership on Forms 3, 4 or 5 filed with the SEC. These documents
are or will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website at
https://www.sec.gov. Additional information regarding the persons
who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in
the solicitation of the 180 Degree Capital shareholders in
connection with the Business Combination will be contained in the
Proxy Statement when such document becomes available.
Mount Logan, its directors and executive
officers and other members of management and employees may be
deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the
shareholders of Mount Logan in favor of the approval of the
Business Combination. Information about Mount Logan’s executive
officers and directors is available in Mount Logan’s annual
information form dated March 14, 2024, available on its website at
https://mountlogancapital.ca/investor-relations and on SEDAR+ at
https://sedarplus.ca. To the extent holdings by the directors and
executive officers of Mount Logan securities reported in Mount
Logan’s annual information form have changed, such changes have
been or will be reflected on insider reports filed on SEDI at
https://www.sedi.ca/sedi/. Additional information regarding the
persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered
participants in the solicitation of the Mount Logan shareholders in
connection with the Business Combination will be contained in the
Prospectus included in the Registration Statement when such
document becomes available.
Non-Solicitation
This letter and the materials accompanying it
are not intended to be, and shall not constitute, an offer to buy
or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any
securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall
there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such
offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration
or qualification under the securities laws of any such
jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by
means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the
U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Forward-Looking Statements
This letter and the materials accompanying it,
and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of
180 Degree Capital and Mount Logan, may contain statements of a
forward-looking nature relating to future events within the meaning
of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may be
identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,”
“continue,” “estimate,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “should,”
“may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “would,” “forecasts,” “seeks,”
“future,” “proposes,” “target,” “goal,” “objective,” “outlook” and
variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative
versions of such words or expressions). Forward-looking statements
are not statements of historical fact and reflect Mount Logan’s and
180 Degree Capital’s current views about future events. Such
forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements
about the benefits of the Business Combination involving Mount
Logan and 180 Degree Capital, including future financial and
operating results, Mount Logan’s and 180 Degree Capital’s plans,
objectives, expectations and intentions, the expected timing and
likelihood of completion of the Business Combination, and other
statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited
to future results of operations, projected cash flow and liquidity,
business strategy, payment of dividends to shareholders of New
Mount Logan, and other plans and objectives for future operations.
No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements
contained in this press release will occur as projected, and actual
results may differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking
statements are based on current expectations, estimates and
assumptions that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
projected. These risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, the ability to obtain the requisite Mount Logan and 180
Degree Capital shareholder approvals; the risk that Mount Logan or
180 Degree Capital may be unable to obtain governmental and
regulatory approvals required for the Business Combination (and the
risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions
that could adversely affect New Mount Logan or the expected
benefits of the Business Combination); the risk that an event,
change or other circumstance could give rise to the termination of
the Business Combination; the risk that a condition to closing of
the Business Combination may not be satisfied; the risk of delays
in completing the Business Combination; the risk that the
businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the
cost savings and any other synergies from the Business Combination
may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than
expected; the risk that any announcement relating to the Business
Combination could have adverse effects on the market price of Mount
Logan’s common stock or 180 Degree Capital’s common stock;
unexpected costs resulting from the Business Combination; the
possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals will be
made; the risk of litigation related to the Business Combination;
the risk that the credit ratings of New Mount Logan or its
subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect; the
diversion of management time from ongoing business operations and
opportunities as a result of the Business Combination; the risk of
adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships,
including those resulting from the announcement or completion of
the Business Combination; competition, government regulation or
other actions; the ability of management to execute its plans to
meet its goals; risks associated with the evolving legal,
regulatory and tax regimes; changes in economic, financial,
political and regulatory conditions; natural and man-made
disasters; civil unrest, pandemics, and conditions that may result
from legislative, regulatory, trade and policy changes; and other
risks inherent in Mount Logan’s and 180 Degree Capital’s
businesses. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates
and opinions of management at the time the statements are made.
Readers should carefully review the statements set forth in the
reports, which 180 Degree Capital has filed or will file from time
to time with the SEC and Mount Logan has filed or will file from
time to time on SEDAR+.
Neither Mount Logan nor 180 Degree Capital
undertakes any obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation,
to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by law. Any discussion of past performance is not an
indication of future results. Investing in financial markets
involves a substantial degree of risk. Investors must be able to
withstand a total loss of their investment. The information herein
is believed to be reliable and has been obtained from sources
believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made,
expressed or implied, with respect to the fairness, correctness,
accuracy, reasonableness or completeness of the information and
opinions. The references and link to the website
www.180degreecapital.com and mountlogancapital.ca have been
provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such
websites are not incorporated by reference into this press release.
Neither 180 Degree Capital nor Mount Logan is responsible for the
contents of third-party websites.
Grafico Azioni 180 Degree Capital (NASDAQ:TURN)
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Da Gen 2025 a Feb 2025
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