Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has acquired, by way of secondary market, 8,700,000 additional common shares of 5N Plus Inc. (TSX: VNP), a leading producer of specialty metal and chemical products.
The acquisition brings Caisse’s holding in 5N Plus to 15,857,050 common shares or 18.93% of 5N Plus outstanding common shares, becoming the largest shareholder in the company.
As at April 1, 2016, 5N Plus’ three largest shareholders were Letko, Brosseau & Associates (15,435,025 or 18.38%), Jacques L’Ecuyer (14,812,188 or 17.64%), and Investissement Québec (8,626,613 or 10.27%)
None of the three has filed any early warning report on acquisition or disposition of their shares.
“This significant stake in 5N Plus will allow the company to focus on its growth projects,” said Christian Dubé, Executive Vice-President, Québec at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. “The transaction is aligned with our strategy to support Québec companies which are active in global markets and prioritize innovation as a key part of their development.”
“La Caisse plays an active role with Québec companies, and we see this investment as a vote of confidence in our new management team and most importantly in our strategic plan, aimed at cementing our leadership in our industry while creating tangible value for our shareholders,” said Arjang (AJ) Roshan, President and Chief Executive Officer of 5N Plus.
With operations in Europe, the Americas and Asia, 5N Plus has close to 700 employees globally, working in 13 production plants and 16 sales offices.
photo credit: 5N Plus