Looking at how the strong international hands invest, one could hope for the success of the controversial Unipol-Fonsai marriage. Blackrock on 30 July it rose to 5,03% of Unipol and purchased the stake outside the capital increase. The stake is held in indirect non-discretionary asset management and is held by Blackrock International for 0,031%, Blackrock Fund Advisors for 0,347%, Blackrock Advisors (UK) for 0,003% and Institutional Trust Company for 4,649%. Blackrock is not just any name but a 3 trillion investment giant that could by itself buy all of Italy's debt and a point of reference for the investment industry on Wall Street. Just as Norges Bank is no small name which on 3 August rose to 2,014% of Milano Assicurazioni, now merged into the large Unipol which is being born with the rescue of the Fonsai pole (parent company of Milan). Norges Bank is the Norwegian central bank at the head of the country's rich sovereign fund fueled by the proceeds of Nordic oil which some time ago invested in Assicurazioni Generali (of which, among other things, Blackrock itself is a shareholder with 2,82%) .
"It's just a pleasure that a large international fund has decided to invest in the success of this project, we think they made the right choice" he obviously commented Charles Cimbri, CEO of Unipol, at the end of a meeting between the management of the Bologna group and that of Fonsai. In recent days Blackrock had been indicated as one of the possible interested parties in taking over the unopted double capital increase in the auction, which was to start in these days but which has been postponed towards the end of August in the hope that the prices will recover a bit ' share (the values are crushed precisely by the same "mass" of the unopted 660 million which, if it were to end up with the banks, would presumably often be dumped on the market). However, the expectation is that new investors will enter the capital on the occasion, including the name of the financier Raffaele Mincione who has already participated in the capital increase of Bpm. But also that the Amber fund rounds off its 1,64% stake in Fonsai. Cimbri does not say too much: "It is difficult to say now - he said - we have to wait for the resumption of full activity on the markets" after August XNUMX, when the unopted shares will be placed ".
Cimbri arrived in Milan today for a meeting with various managers of Fondiaria Sai to meet the managers of the company and was welcomed by the CEO of Fonsai Emanuele Erbetta. A meeting defined as "already operational", part of a work that will continue in the coming months. “Since 20 July we have been a single group: now is the time to roll up our sleeves and work”, he commented. The tam tam of press rumors sees Unipol men in a large majority in the committees that will outline the new face of the newborn mega group. But Cimbri denies it: "I've read a lot of nonsense in the newspapers: if there is a meeting in Bologna it is clear that the people who are already there are taking part", he says. There is no doubt about one point. The assets to be disposed of to satisfy the Antitrust requests will be Fonsai alone. “It's part of the job to define them in concrete terms – he said – in any case it will only be Fonsai's assets. When we have decided what the assets will be, the expressions of interest will surely arrive".
In short, full speed ahead and no fear, says Cimbri, that the judiciary or Consob may intervene to change the four-way merger with the Fonsai group. No, I'm not worried: I don't see any elements”, says the manager who has at the moment excluded his summons from the Milanese judiciary investigating the Ligresti group, while he did not want to comment on yesterday's interview in Repubblica by the administrator of Mediobanca, Alberto Nagel. And on the possible takeover bid on Premafin that Consob could impose if the existence of a secret agreement between Mediobanca and the Ligresti were ascertained? "I find it difficult to express assessments, so I don't ask myself the question - he commented - we are waiting for the in-depth analysis of the competent authorities to be carried out". In Bologna, for the moment, the secret agreements are of no concern: "we know what we have done - explained Cimbri - and we are totally calm about what we have done".
Meanwhile, Siti, the Italian union for the protection of investments and savings, has launched an initiative in favor of the shareholders and former shareholders of Fonsai, Milano Assicurazioni and Premafin, in relation to the hypothetical crimes being investigated by the Turin prosecutors and Milan. Siti has activated "its own collective protection initiative, aimed at bringing civil action in criminal proceedings for compensation for the damage suffered by shareholders" aimed at "those who have suffered or are suffering huge losses" due to the collapse of the shares of the Ligresti group.
