Value Partners co-founder Cheah to exit after GF Securities purchase, source says
By Selena Li
HONG KONG, Sept 2 (Reuters) -The co-founder of asset manager Value Partners Group 0806.HK is set to quit the firm in the biggest shakeup since China's GF Securities 000776.SZ became its largest shareholder, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
Cheah Cheng Hye, a co-founder, co-chairman and co-chief investment officer, plans to exit Hong Kong-based Value Partners as soon as January, the source said, adding Louis So, the other co-chief investment officer and a former co-chairman, will leave by the end of this year.
So has started offloading his stake in the company, according to the source, who was not authorised to speak with media. So held at least a 2.65% stake of the firm's public shares by end-June, according to its interim report.
Cheah will continue to serve as co-chairman and co-chief investment officer, while So is currently the company's executive director and co-chief investment officer, a Value Partners spokesperson said in an emailed statement that did not comment on whether they planned to depart in coming months.
GF, Cheah and So did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Bloomberg reported Cheah and So's planned departure earlier on Monday.
Chinese brokerage GF Securities acquired a 20.2% stake in Value Partners in June 2023 and has since been exerting its influence on the firm's operations, according to the source.
On Aug. 23, Value Partners replaced So as co-chair with Ling Xianghong and added Li Qian to the board. Ling and Li are senior managers at GF, according to a stock exchange filing.
Value Partners, founded in 1993 as a China investing specialist, has suffered from tumbling Chinese markets in recent years.
The Hong Kong firm, which has offices across Asia and Europe, managed $5.4 billion of assets as of end-June, down from its peak of more than $18 billion in 2018.
It cut about one-third of its staff in mainland China as it looked to restructure the business to boost profit amid weaker market conditions, Reuters reported in April.
GF is the latest Chinese securities firm to tighten control at its Hong Kong business, following similar moves by Citic Securities 600030.SS and Haitong Securities 600837.SS over the last two years.
Reporting by Selena Li; Editing by Jamie Freed
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
