Shares in Janus Henderson (JHG.N) have soared 17% in New York after the fund manager said it had received a $7.2bn (£5.3bn), or $46 a share, cash bid approach from activist hedge fund Trian and venture capital firm General Catalyst.
Janus Henderson, the product of a merger eight years ago between Janus Capital of the US and Henderson Group in the UK, said it would appoint a special committee to consider the proposal to buy shares in the group not already owned or controlled by Trian.
Trian, founded by Nelson Peltz, owns 20% of the shares and first invested in October 2020. Its two representatives on the board will be excluded from the committee.
Janus Henderson shares leaped to an all-time high of $49 in early trading. The group actively manages about $457bn in assets, operates from 25 cities across the world and employs over 2,000 people.
In the UK it manages eight London-listed investment trusts with £7.1bn total assets, including debt. The division’s flagship is City of London (CTY), the £2.6bn UK equity income trust that has consistently increased its dividend for a record 59 years.
