Trading Places: Who chipped $2.2m+ into Sky and Space to help its ASX relisting?

If you to know where fund managers and famous investors such as Geoff Wilson, Alex Waislitz and Tolga Kumova are putting their money, we’ve been keeping track of substantial holder buys (and sells).

Trading Places is Stockhead’s recap of the substantial holder movements among ASX small caps over the last fortnight.

Substantial shareholders are those holding 5 per cent or more of a company’s shares — these can be directors, individual investors, or institutional investors.

Shareholders are required to announce to the exchange when they cross above or below the 5 per cent threshold, as well as any change in their holdings while they remain above 5 per cent.

Buyers

Satellite company Sky and Space Global (ASX:SAS) has been recapitalised and is seeking a relisting on the ASX. It has three new substantial holders, two of which contributed $2.2 million between them.

Two were Merchant Funds Management with a 5.13 per cent stake it bought for $700,000 and Thorney Investment Group (billionaire investor Alex Waislitz’s private vehicle) which has an 11 per cent stake for $1.5 million.

The third is new business partner Virgin Orbit which has a 16.13 per cent stake in it – issued without cash consideration, according to the document lodged with the ASX.

But Sky and Space remains in a race against the clock for relisting on the ASX. It is set to be delisted on April 8 if its suspension isn’t lifted on or before that date – two years from when it was suspended.

The company spent several months seeking funding but fell into voluntary administration last year.

Among other trades, Wilson Asset Management kept chipping away at acquisition target amaysim (ASX:AYS), and now holds more than 53 per cent of the company.

Stocks purchased by Regal Funds Management included in food company Beston (ASX:BFC) and communications tech stock  Whispir (ASX:WSP).

Australian Ethical topped up its stakes in CV Check (ASX:CV1) and MNF Group (ASX:MNF).

Bennelong Funds Management now owns 9.29 per cent of Baby Bunting (ASX:BBN) and Trojan Capital Fund owns over 10 per cent of telco stock Vortiv (ASX:VOR).

Sellers

Video tech company Atomos (ASX:AMS) saw the family trust of co-founder Jeromy Young part with $10 million in shares. The company said the proceeds would help the family pay a tax bill and buy a house.

Other co-founders who sold down were John Reisinger and Phillip Britt of Aussie Broadband (ASX:ABB) who sold just over $4 million each off market to institutional investors – but both still own over 9 per cent each.

Speaking of sellers of recently listed stocks, Perennial Value Management ceased to be a substantial holder of Doctor Care Anywhere (ASX:DOC) and GTR Ventures sold $1 million of its stake in BikeExchange (ASX:BEX).