[Cape Town, 02 October 2024] Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited today announced
the disposal of its entire shareholding in Stadio Holdings Limited, a South African higher
education group listed on the JSE, for a total cash consideration of R257 million, equivalent to
R5.90 per share.
Brimstone has undertaken a strategic review of its investment portfolio with the view of disposing of certain of its assets at acceptable valuations. The proceeds of this Stadio disposal will be used to partially settle debt in the near to medium-term.
Earlier in this year Brimstone partially exited investments in Equites, MTN Zakhele and Phuthuma Nathi and disposed of its entire holding in Milpark Education. This enabled the company to repay funders R357.6 million during the six months ending 30 June 2024.
Mustaq Brey, Chief Executive Officer of Brimstone says, “In a low growth economy, coupled with generally higher interest rates, it is always prudent to reduce debt. We are in an environment where investment holding companies, including Brimstone, are trading at significant discounts to intrinsic net asset value. We believe that de-gearing, and share buybacks which we continue to do, are a means of narrowing this discount and ultimately restoring value for shareholders. This disposal of the Stadio investment is a further step in the execution of that strategy.”
Brimstone’s core portfolio comprises of investments in Sea Harvest, Oceana Group, and unlisted property fund FPG Group. These investments alone have a current market value of approximately R 4 billion. “Our core investments are well established companies with strong management teams. With a cautiously optimistic outlook on the domestic economy, supported by lower inflation and a recent interest rate cut, we anticipate improved performance across various sectors over the medium-term, which should support our rationalised investment holdings," concluded Fred Robertson, Executive Chairman of Brimstone.