Slenderbroek said definitively, during Jupiter’s annual investment dinner in London Wednesday night, that Jupiter is not looking to combine forces with another fund group.
Nor does the asset manager believe it will become the target of a larger asset manager like competitor Aberdeen Asset Management, which was swallowed up by Standard Life earlier this month.
Analysts have identified Jupiter, along with several other mainstay UK fund groups like Ashmore, Polar Capital and Schroders, as a potential takeover targets as the industry grapples with fee pressure and tighter regulation.
“We are not looking to be acquired,” Slenderbroek stated.
“We think we do something differentiated and we think we can do that for years to come.”
Jupiter’s assets under management currently sit at the £40bn mark, which the chief executive says gives them ample room to “grow for many years to come.”
While, M&A is out of the question for Jupiter in the near-term, Slenderbroek said it is something the firm could “theoretically” do.
But he said he feared a potential merger would force Jupiter to cull its talented staff, which is a sacrifice the company is not willing to make.
Slenderbroek ended his address by joking “with any luck we’ll be back here next year as an independent company.”
