Media

Link Market Services acquires Corporate File

3rd July 2006 - Press release

Link Market Services Limited (Link) today announced that it had acquired Corporate File Pty Ltd (Corporate File). Since its acquisition by Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) in August 2005, Link has actively pursued its Australasian growth strategy and continued to successfully attract new, high profile
clients.

Link’s growth initiatives here and abroad include:

  • April 2004: acquisition of registry services business of Pitcher Partners Queensland.
  • October 2004: acquisition of Australian employee share services business of Mellon HR & IS.
  • January 2005: entry into New Zealand via joint venture with New Zealand Exchange Limited and acquisition of New Zealand registry services provider BK Registries Pty Limited.
  • March 2006: entry into Western Australian share registry market with local partner Patersons Securities Limited.
  • March 2006: acquisition of majority holding in South Africa’s second largest share registry.

“The synergies between Corporate File and Link make this a common-sense acquisition,” commented John McMurtrie, Managing Director of Link. “We have complementary client bases and Corporate File’s reputation in the Australian market mirrors our own as a premium provider of services.”

The Corporate File offering adds to the services offered to clients. Earlier this year, Link established a Company Secretarial offering which has been adopted by a number of its existing clients. Corporate File which was formed almost seven years ago has a strong growth story in its own right. Its Open Briefing® service enhances corporate disclosure by delivering a CEO briefing directly to the broadest possible pool of shareholders, prospective investors, analysts and advisors.

“We expect the combination with Link to be very productive,” said Corporate File Managing Director, Anton Whitehead. “We remain committed to growing ASX listed company participation in the Open Briefing® service. Our objective is to maintain our service ethic and the quality of our product across a broader client base.”

Corporate File will retain its brand with the full complement of its team under the management of founder and Managing Director Anton Whitehead and Executives Tim Hallebone, Anne Wall-Smith and Cary Helenius Corporate File’s core product, the Open Briefing®, is a record of an interview with a CEO of an ASX listed company by a Corporate File analyst. Open Briefing® content reflects information previously sought by brokers and fund managers in private meetings with company management.

Each Open Briefing® is first released to ASX providing direct and equal access to all market participants: professional and private, domestic and offshore. The service assists ASX listed companies in overcoming problems associated with selective disclosure and ensures a wider investor audience is reached.

Corporate File launched the Open Briefing® service in 1999 with the support of ASX. To date, over 140 ASX listed companies have used the service. Client companies range across all sectors of the Australian share market and include Top 100 leaders, mid caps and micro caps.

Corporate File team members have extensive investment banking, stock broking and industry experience. Previous roles by Corporate File team members include:

  • Corporate advice, IPOs and M&A activity - Australia
  • Head of equities - Australia
  • Institutional equity sales - Australia and international
  • Equities research - Australia and international
  • Funds Management – international
  • Finance journalism – Australia
  • Mining company corporate development and geology – Australia and international

Note to Editors

About Link

Link Market Services Limited (Link) – formerly known as ASX Perpetual Limited – is a leading provider of services and technology to financial market participants in Australasia. Link seamlessly delivers a range of services to clients across Australia and New Zealand from its offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Ashburton. With around 330 full time staff, we have some 8 million holder records under management and maintain the registers of
approximately 400 listed entities.

Link is a member of the Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) portfolio family.

For further information please contact us.

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