Investor AB
Encyclopedia
Investor AB is a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 investment company
Investment company
An investment company is a company whose main business is holding securities of other companies purely for investment purposes. The investment company invests money on behalf of its shareholders who in turn share in the profits and losses....

, founded in 1916 and still controlled by the Wallenberg family
Wallenberg family
The Wallenberg family is a prominent Swedish banking family, renowned as bankers, industrialists, politicians, diplomats and philanthropists. The most famous of the Wallenbergs, Raoul Wallenberg, a diplomat, worked in Budapest, Hungary, during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust...

 through their foundation asset management company FAM
Foundation Asset Management AB
Foundation Asset Management AB is a Swedish foundation asset management company, founded by the three largest Wallenberg foundations in order to manage the assets of the foundations, by means of direct ownership as well as through management- and consultancy agreements...

. The company owns a controlling stake in several large Swedish companies
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...

 with smaller positions in a number of other firms. In 2006 it had a market value of 119 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....

 kronor
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...

 (
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

13 billion, $
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...

16 billion). Currently Investor has a strong financial position and is almost debt free.

Quick facts

December 31, 2004
  • Listed holdings market value: SEK 88,907 million (core + new from AR 2004, 87,645 + 1,262)
  • Unlisted holdings value: SEK 16,622 million ("new investments, unlisted" + "other" (presumably unlisted equity), 9,568 + 7,054)

October 15, 2006
  • The company stock trades at a 25% discount to the total value of its assets. One possible theory to explain this is the companies practice of issuing dual-class shares to the Wallenberg family, who own just 22% of the company but control 46% through multiple-vote shares.
  • 16% of Investors net value is made up of unlisted (private-equity) investments. These include part-ownership of EQT and Investor Capital Partners, a Hong Kong
    Hong Kong
    Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

     based subsidiary.

History

In 1916, new legislation made it more difficult for banks to own stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...

s in industrial companies on a long-term basis. Investor was formed as an investment part of Stockholms Enskilda Bank
Stockholms Enskilda Bank
Stockholms Enskilda Bank, sometimes called Enskilda banken or SEB, was a Swedish bank, founded in 1856 by André Oscar Wallenberg as Stockholm's first private bank...

, at the time the largest instrument of power in the Wallenberg family.

Core

Investor held shares in the following companies as of 31 December 2010:
  • ABB - power and automation technology (7.3% stake, 7.3% voting rights)
  • Atlas Copco
    Atlas Copco
    Atlas Copco is a Swedish industrial company that was founded in 1873. It manufactures industrial tooling and equipment.The Atlas Copco Group is a global industrial group of companies headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Revenues for 2009 totaled 63 billion SEK. The Group employs more than 33,000...

     - industrial tooling and equipment (16.7% stake, 22.3% voting rights)
  • AstraZeneca
    AstraZeneca
    AstraZeneca plc is a global pharmaceutical and biologics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues and has operations in over 100 countries...

     - pharmaceuticals (3.7% stake, 3.7% voting rights)
  • Electrolux
    Electrolux
    The Electrolux Group is a Swedish appliance maker.As of 2010 the 2nd largest home appliance manufacturer in the world after Whirlpool, its products sell under a variety of brand names including its own and are primarily major appliances and vacuum cleaners...

     - consumer appliances (13.6% stake, 29.9% voting rights)
  • Ericsson
    Ericsson
    Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...

     - telecommunications (5.0% stake, 19.3% voting rights)
  • Husqvarna
    Husqvarna AB
    The Husqvarna Group is the world's largest producer of outdoor power products including chainsaws, trimmers, lawn mowers and garden tractors. The Group is also the European leader in consumer watering products and one of the world leaders in cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction...

     - auto, chainsaw and sewing machine manufacturer (15.7% stake, 30.8% voting rights)
  • Saab
    Saab
    Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...

     - aviation and military technology (30.0% stake, 39.5% voting rights)
  • SEB
    Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken
    Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB is a Swedish financial group for corporate customers, institutions and private individuals with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Its activities comprise mainly banking services, but SEB also carries out significant life insurance operations and also owns Eurocard...

     - banking (20.8% stake, 20.9% voting rights)

Operating investments

Investor's other investments include:
  • 3 Scandinavia - (3rd Generation mobile phone services) (40% stake)
  • Aleris - healthcare and care services (97% stake)
  • CaridianBCT - developing and commercializing technology that serves customers in the blood banking and transfusion medicine industries (49% stake)
  • Gambro
    Gambro
    Gambro is a global medical technology companythat manufactures products for Dialysis treatment.The company is a global leader in developing, manufacturing andsupplying products and therapies for Kidneyand Liver Dialysis, Myeloma Kidney Therapy, and other...

     - medical technology (49% stake)
  • Mölnlycke Health Care
    Mölnlycke Health Care
    Mölnlycke Health Care is a Swedish medical devices company headquartered in Gothenburg and active internationally. The company manufactures and sells disposable surgical products such as drapes, gowns, facemasks, and headwear and wound and skin care products such as dressings, compression...

     - medical technology (96% stake)
  • NASDAQ OMX
    NASDAQ OMX Group
    NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is a United States public company that owns and operates the NASDAQ stock market and eight European stock exchanges in Armenia plus the Nordic and Baltic regions under the OMX banner...

     - securities market operator (10.2% stake)
  • Novare - recruitment firm (50% stake)
  • Grand Hôtel, Stockholm - five star hotel (100%)
  • Lindorff - a credit management company in the Nordic region with a growing European presence. (58% stake)
  • Investor Growth Capital - venture capital
    Venture capital
    Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...

     firm, exceeds $1 billion in venture capital (100%)
  • Swedish Orphan Biovitrum - a Stockholm based specialty biopharma company (40% stake)
  • EQT Partners - private equity
    Private equity
    Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....

     firm, €11 billion in equity capital (Investor participation varies from fund to fund)

Some former holdings

  • IBX - provider of efficient purchasing solutions and services (sold to Capgemini
    Capgemini
    Capgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...

     in 2010)
  • WM-data
    WM-data
    WM-data was a Swedish IT consultancy company based in Stockholm, and was completely incorporated by Logica on February 27, 2008. The company was quoted on the Stockholm Stock Exchange as a member of the A-list, but after LogicaCMG's acquisition, WM-data was dequoted...

     - IT services (sold in August, 2006)
  • Saab Automobile
    Saab Automobile
    Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...

     - acquired by General Motors
  • Scania
    Scania AB
    Scania Aktiebolag , commonly referred to as Scania AB or just Scania, is a major Swedish automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles - specifically heavy trucks and buses...

     - sold part of its stake to Volkswagen AG in 2000, selling the remainder to the German car-maker in March 2008. http://www.scania.com/ir/vw_increases_holding.asp
  • Bredbandsbolaget
    Bredbandsbolaget
    Bredbandsbolaget is a Swedish Internet service provider owned by Telenor. It was founded in 1998 with a focus on high-speed Internet connection for homes and businesses using optical fiber. It is the second largest ISP in Sweden ....

     - (BBB) a broadband and telecoms provider. This was initially in difficulty but was sold 2005 to Telenor
    Telenor
    Telenor Group is the incumbent telecommunications company in Norway, with headquarters located at Fornebu, close to Oslo. Today, Telenor Group is mostly an international wireless carrier with operations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Asia, working predominantly under the Telenor brand...

     for a profit.
  • OMX
    OMX
    OMX AB is a Swedish-Finnish financial services company, formed in 2003 through a merger between OM AB and HEX plc and is now a part of the NASDAQ OMX Group since February 2008.It has two divisions, OMX Exchanges, which operates eight stock exchanges mainly in the Nordic and Baltic...

     - financial services company (sold in May, 2007 to Nasdaq
    NASDAQ
    The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...

    )

Other Swedish investment companies

  • Ratos
    Ratos
    Ratos AB is a Swedish private equity company founded in 1933 and still controlled by the Söderberg family. Ratos is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.-History:...

  • Investment AB Kinnevik
    Investment AB Kinnevik
    Investment AB Kinnevik is an investment company established in 1936 by Wilhelm Klingspor and Robert von Horn. They had just sold their sugar company and were left with a farming company Mellersta Sveriges Lantbruks AB and cash. Their lawyer was Hugo Stenbeck. The lawyer got significant operating...

  • Investment AB Latour
    Investment AB Latour
    Investment AB Latour is the investment company controlled by Swedish businessman Gustaf Douglas and family.Through the company Douglas controls, inter alia, security firm Securitas AB and the world-leading lock producer Assa Abloy. Gustaf Douglas is the chairman of the company. His wife and one of...

  • L E Lundbergföretagen AB

External links

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