Amundi Interested in Buying Allianz Global Investors

Amundi SA is interested in acquiring control of Allianz SE’s asset manager Allianz Global Investors as the French company scouts for deals amid industry consolidation, people familiar with the matter said.

Europe’s biggest asset manager has been holding on-and-off talks with the German insurance giant for several months about a deal for AGI, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Possible structures could include a full acquisition by Amundi or a combination with AGI that would leave Allianz with a sizable stake, they said.

Allianz Global Investors had €555 billion ($584 billion) of assets under management at the end of June, according to its website. While talks have progressed at various times and there’s a prospect of an agreement before annual results in February, the complexity of any transaction means there’s no certainty they will lead to a deal, they said.

One possible structure that has been discussed would involve forming a joint venture initially, potentially as a first step toward greater integration down the line, some of the people said.

Amundi and Allianz are both working with advisers as they each explore different asset management transactions, the people said. Munich-based Allianz has also held preliminary discussions with Deutsche Bank AG about a potential combination with the bank’s asset-management division DWS Group, the people said.

Tie-Ups, Partnerships

Reuters and Bloomberg reported in October that Allianz is considering options for its AGI unit. The early-stage considerations could include tie-ups and partnerships, a person with knowledge of the matter said at the time.

Representatives for Amundi, Allianz, Deutsche Bank and DWS declined to comment. Shares of Amundi gained as much as 1.7% in early Thursday trading in Paris, while Allianz rose 0.7% in Germany.

Dealmaking in the European asset management industry has been in full swing since BNP Paribas SA announced plans earlier this year to acquire AXA SA’s asset management arm. Assicurazioni Generali SpA is considering an asset management tie-up with Natixis Investment Managers, people with knowledge of the matter said in November. Italy’s Banco BPM SpA also launched a takeover offer last month for asset management firm Anima Holding SpA, which was disrupted when UniCredit SpA made a bid for Banco BPM.

Rising costs and pressure on fees are prompting asset managers to seek further scale. Many of the biggest players in Europe are still owned by banks or insurers, and often lack the scale to compete with US fund houses and alternative investment firms that have enjoyed breakneck growth in recent years.

Doubling Down

Banks have been looking to double down on asset management as they seek new income streams at a time when interest rates are falling. An accounting quirk known as the Danish compromise is also helping deals. A regulation dating back to Denmark’s European Union presidency in 2012 allows banks to gain a capital advantage when acquiring non-banks, such as insurers.

Amundi, controlled by French lender Credit Agricole SA, is the undisputed champion of the European asset management industry and oversees more than €2 trillion. The firm is known for its acquisition strategy and has been involved in more than a dozen purchases over the past decade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

AGI’s roots go back to 1998, when Allianz decided to set up a dedicated asset management business. It started building it out through a series of acquisitions, including buying Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management in the US and absorbing Dresdner Asset Management in Europe. By 2011, the different units were integrated to form AGI while PIMCO, which is also owned by Allianz, remained a standalone firm.

Interest in Scale

Deutsche Bank analysts wrote in a recent research note that Allianz’s management has always been clear that they are interested in scale wherever they operate. Berenberg analyst Michael Huttner said in October his base case scenario is that Allianz may consider selling a 51% stake in AGI to a long-term partner.

DWS, led by Stefan Hoops, is Germany’s largest asset manager with more than €900 billion of assets under management. It has been scouting for potential acquisition targets and has also studied a deal for Viridium, the German life insurance consolidator backed by Cinven, Bloomberg News has reported. A full acquisition of Allianz Global Investors could require the firm to raise capital, which would need approval from Deutsche Bank.

Photograph: An Allianz SE office in Berlin, Germany, on Wedesday, Nov. 9, 2022. Photo credit: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg