UBS Strengthens Its Stake In NH Following Intesa’s Exit

2 February 2015 – Expansión

New movement in the share capital of the NH Hotel Group: the identity is now being revealed of the entities that purchased the 26.77 million shares – representing 7.6% of the hotel chain’s capital – that Intesa San Paolo sold just over a week ago. UBS is the first company to acknowledge that it took advantage of the Italian bank’s exit to strengthen its holding in NH; it acquired around 1% of the total capital – 3.48 million shares – on 23 January, according to CNMV records.

Together with the shares that it already held in its portfolio, the Swiss bank now owns 11,630,402 shares, representing 3.3% of NH’s capital. Intesa sold its shareholding for €113.8 million, at a price of €4.25 per share, which brings the total amount of UBS’s transaction to €14.81 million.

New shareholder profile

Following the acquisition, the Swiss entity becomes the fifth largest shareholder in NH, whose main shareholder is the Chinese conglomerate HNA, with a 29.5% stake. It is followed by the Inversor Hesperia Group (9.09%), Banco Santander (which become a shareholder in December after taking over 8.56% held by Hesperia, to which it acts as the main lending entity) and the fund THS (3.89%).

Almost all of NH’s share capital has changed hands in less than two years, following the exit of its traditional shareholders, such as Bankia, Amancio Ortega – the owner of the retail empire Inditex – and Intesa. NH’s share price was €4.39 at close of trading on Friday, down 0.23%. Its price has rise by 10.44% this year.

Original story: Expansión (by Y. Blanco)

Translation: Carmel Drake