Altus Group Limited (“Altus Group” or the “Company”) (TSX: AIF), a
leading provider of asset and fund intelligence for commercial real
estate (“CRE”), announced today that it signed a definitive
agreement to acquire the commercial real estate valuation and
advisory services business of Situs Group LLC (a SitusAMC company)
(“REVS”), for US$225.0 million (approximately C$310.1 million) in
cash, or net approximately US$190.0 million (approximately C$261.9
million) after consideration of an estimated acquisition-related
benefit of the tax step-up, implying a 13.4x 2023 normalized EBITDA
multiple.
“Current market complexity and increasing
financial reporting demands drive the need for high quality and
timely valuations and data driven insights for CRE investors and
operators,” said Jim Hannon, CEO of Altus Group. “We are excited to
have the highly regarded REVS team join the top talent at Altus
Group. Collectively we will expand the scope of valuation offers,
including advanced analytics, that we deliver to clients.”
Acquisition Highlights
The proposed acquisition is expected to provide
Altus Group with the following strategic advantages:
- Enhances valuation
offering: enhances client value with complementary
solutions that are embedded in key client workflows and opens up
new growth avenues for advanced analytics applications.
- Expands talent to
efficiently serve clients: adds bench strength with highly
credentialed and licensed valuation professionals, technologists,
and a scalable service delivery function with synergistic workflow
technology.
- Strengthens financial
profile: supports recurring revenue growth, immediately
accretive to Analytics earnings, and creates operating
efficiencies.
- Enhances strategic
long-term growth opportunities: adds strong technology
assets with expansive valuation datasets that are core to Altus
Group’s strategy to scale advanced analytics.
REVS offers independent valuation management
solutions to some of the largest CRE institutional investors in the
U.S., including pension funds, insurance companies, investment
managers, banks, and other CRE asset owners and investors. The
transaction will include REVS’ key commercial solutions for
valuation management (including its Valuation Management System and
the Daily Valuation System technology platforms), as well as
related appraisal and consulting services such as portfolio
monitoring and reporting, portfolio valuations, pension fund
monitoring and reporting, and other similar services.
The REVS team includes highly credentialed and
licensed valuation professionals who leverage real-time data,
proprietary research, and innovative technology to help clients
monitor and report the value of their commercial real estate
portfolios directly contributing to their investment decision
process and financial reporting requirements. Approximately 350
people are expected to join Altus Group as part of the
acquisition.
“The combination of our market expertise and
expansive valuation datasets will create best-in-class valuation
intelligence,” added Rick Kalvoda, President of Analytics for the
Americas region at Altus Group. “It will elevate the insights and
transparency we bring to clients to help them drive asset
performance and manage risk.”
“Joining Altus Group will create significant
value for our clients, our team and the industry,” added Brian
Velky, Head of REVS. “Coming together will enhance our independent
end-to-end valuation capabilities to ensure we’re best positioned
to meet our clients’ evolving needs.”
Financial Information
The transaction is expected to strengthen the
Company’s recurring revenue base, be immediately accretive to Altus
Group’s Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin for its
Analytics reportable segment and create operating efficiencies.
REVS has been consistently growing its topline in the double-digits
and expects to generate approximately US$46.2 million
(approximately C$63.6 million) in revenue and approximately US$14.2
million (approximately C$19.5 million) in normalized EBITDA* for
fiscal 2023.
On closing, Altus Group will pay US$225.0
million (approximately C$310.1 million) in cash, funded by cash on
hand and borrowings under the Company’s credit facilities. In
connection with the acquisition of REVS, the Company obtained a
commitment from lenders to increase its borrowing capacity under
its existing bank credit facilities from up to an aggregate of
C$550 million to up to an aggregate of C$725 million. The increase
to the Company’s borrowing capacity is subject to completion of the
acquisition of REVS, satisfaction of typical conditions precedent,
and definitive documentation.
Assuming that this transaction, as well as the
previously announced acquisition of Forbury Property Valuation
Solutions Limited, both close, the Company’s funded debt to
Adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio is expected to still be below its
4.5x maximum capacity limit under its credit facilities. Given the
expected synergies and existing strong cash flows, Altus Group
expects to steadily de-lever to its target 2.0x – 2.5x funded debt
to Adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio range by the end of 2025.
The acquisition of REVS is expected to
close prior to the end of the first half of 2024, subject
to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory
approvals. Altus Group plans to discuss the transaction during its
Q3 2023 financial results conference call scheduled at 5:00 pm ET
today.
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is serving as
legal counsel to Altus Group. Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are serving as legal counsel and
Evercore is serving as financial advisor to Situs Group LLC.
* Normalized EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure as
defined by Situs Group, LLC
About Altus Group
Altus Group is a leading provider of asset and
fund intelligence for commercial real estate. We deliver
intelligence as a service to our global client base through a
connected platform of industry-leading technology, advanced
analytics, and advisory services. Trusted by the largest CRE
leaders, our capabilities help commercial real estate investors,
developers, proprietors, lenders, and advisors manage risks and
improve performance returns throughout the asset and fund
lifecycle. Altus Group is a global company headquartered in Toronto
with approximately 3,000 employees across North America, EMEA and
Asia Pacific. For more information about Altus Group (TSX: AIF)
please visit altusgroup.com.
Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this press release may
constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of
applicable securities legislation. All information contained in
this press release, other than statements of current and historical
fact, is forward-looking information, including statements relating
to expected financial and other benefits of the acquisition and the
closing of the acquisition (including the expected timing of
closing), as well as statements relating to the Company’s business,
strategies and leverage (including the commitment to increase
borrowing capacity). Generally, forward-looking information can be
identified by use of words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”,
“believe”, “plan”, “would”, “could”, “remain” and other similar
terminology. Forward-looking information is not, and cannot be, a
guarantee of future results or events. Forward-looking information
is based on, among other things, opinions, assumptions, estimates
and analyses that, while considered reasonable by us at the date
the forward-looking information is provided, inherently are subject
to significant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other
factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements,
industry results or events to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Those
risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from the forward-looking information
include those described in our publicly filed documents, including
the Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2022
and the Company’s other periodic filings with the securities
commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada (which are
available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com). We believe that the
expectations reflected in forward-looking information are based
upon reasonable assumptions; however, we can give no assurance that
actual results will be consistent with the forward-looking
information. Not all factors which affect the forward-looking
information are known, and actual results may vary from the
projected results in a material respect, and may be above or below
the forward-looking information presented in a material
respect.
Given these risks, uncertainties and other
factors, investors should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking information as a prediction of actual results. The
forward-looking information contained herein is current as of the
date of this press release and, except as required under applicable
law, we do not undertake to update or revise it to reflect new
events or circumstances.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE
CONTACT:
Camilla BartosiewiczChief Communications
Officer, Altus Group(416)
641-9773camilla.bartosiewicz@altusgroup.com
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