Report
Dmitry Vlasov ...
  • Ildar Davletshin, CFA

WOOD Flash – VK: major change in ownership

Today (2 December), USM Holding (controlled by Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov) announced that it has sold its indirect stake in VK (25.8% of the voting rights) to Sogaz, co-owned by Yury Kovalchuk’s Bank of Russia (32.3%) and Gazprom (21.2%). The transaction price was not disclosed. We believe that changes at VK are now more likely, but with the too little information disclosed thus far, we see it as premature to assess the impact on VK’s shareholder value. We maintain our HOLD rating and USD 23.4/GDR PT on VK.
Underlying
Mail.ru Group Ltd. Sponsored GDR

Mail.Ru Group is an Internet company based in the Russian Federation. Co. operates the email service [email protected] and two IM networks in Russia - Mail.Ru Agent and ICQ. Co. operates two Russian-language online social networking sites: Moi [email protected] and Odnoklassniki.ru, and owns a strategic minority equity stake in the social network Vkontakte. Co. is also engaged in developing projects in E-commerce and operating more than 40 thematic vertical sites, targeting various user categories. Co. is also Russia's predominant online games company. Co. maintains a portfolio of online games which includes 34 MMO games and over 30 games for social networking sites.

Provider
Wood and Company
Wood and Company

WOOD & Company is the leading investment bank in Emerging Europe. Founded in 1991 and head-quartered in Prague, our footprint spans the region and touches investors around the globe.

A pioneer in Emerging Europe, WOOD executed many of the first CEE equity trades and landmark investment banking transactions. Our electronic trading platform was the first in the region, and remains the best. We are continually expanding our relevance and reach in these ever-evolving markets.

Our equity market share reflects our stature: 7% in Warsaw, 20% in Bucharest, 16% in Hungary, 40% in Prague and 5% in Vienna. Our distribution is unparalleled, with the largest salesforce in the region, servicing a uniquely diverse investor base.

We couple local expertise with a truly international perspective. With offices on the ground in the region, and in key financial hubs such as London and Milano, we are never far from our clients and we remain at the forefront of what’s afoot in the CEE emerging and frontier landscape.

Analysts
Dmitry Vlasov

Ildar Davletshin, CFA

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