Electra sells further stake in stock-market newbie esure

As part of esure's stock-market debut in London last month, FTSE 250 investment trust Electra Private Equity has sold off two-thirds of its stake.

As part of esure's stock-market debut in London last month, FTSE 250 investment trust Electra Private Equity has sold off two-thirds of its stake.

Electra said on Tuesday that, as a result of the exercise by JPMorgan Securities of the over-allotment arrangement in connection with the initial public offering (IPO), it has sold four million of the six million esure shares it held post IPO.

These shares were sold at the IPO price of 290p, meaning that Electra received proceeds of £11.2m.

UK online insurance venture esure's IPO on March 22nd was the biggest stock-market debut so far this year, valuing the company at around £1.2bn.

The company, which had 1.25m in-force motor policies and 0.5m in-force home policies at the end of 2012, was made famous by the late director Michael Winner who appeared in its TV adverts with the catchphrase "Calm down dear!"

esure was Electra's third-largest investment as of last year after it invested £30m - via Electra's stake in the Tosca Penta Investments LP fund - in the management buyout of the UK insurer from Lloyds in 2010.

Following Tuesday's transaction, Electra has now recovered £26.5m of its original investment.

The company retains two million shares in esure which are subject to lock-up arrangements are valued at £6.4m at the IPO price.

Recommended

The top funds to invest in
Funds

The top funds to invest in

Investors continue to favour passive funds in April though figures reveal an actively managed money market fund also caught their eye. We look at wher…
3 May 2023
The ten highest dividend yields in the FTSE 100
Income investing

The ten highest dividend yields in the FTSE 100

Rupert Hargreaves takes a look at the companies with the highest dividend yields in the UK’s blue-chip index
20 Apr 2023
Best junior stocks and shares ISA platforms
Isas

Best junior stocks and shares ISA platforms

A junior stocks and shares ISA is a great way to save for your child tax-efficiently. But it can be confusing deciding which investment platform to ch…
28 Mar 2023
The outlook for Shell shares is mixed, despite bumper profits
Energy stocks

The outlook for Shell shares is mixed, despite bumper profits

With profits surging, it looks as if Shell is on a roll, but the company’s growth from here is hard to see as Rupert Hargreaves explains.
6 Feb 2023

Most Popular

Nationwide to give £100 cash boost to customers
Personal finance

Nationwide to give £100 cash boost to customers

Nationwide Building Society is giving customers £100 as it reinvests profits. Dubbed the Nationwide Fairer Share scheme, we look at who is eligible.
22 May 2023
Share tips of the week – 26 May
Investments

Share tips of the week – 26 May

MoneyWeek’s comprehensive guide to the best of this week’s share tips from the rest of the UK's financial pages.
25 May 2023
The best one-year fixed savings accounts - May 2023
Savings

The best one-year fixed savings accounts - May 2023

You can now earn 5% on 1 year fixed savings accounts - the best rate seen in 14 years. We have all the latest rates available now.
26 May 2023