Funds management house BlackRock has announced it will acquire Sydney-based global technology company Impact Investments in a move that will boost the analytical support tools available to its portfolio managers.
Under the agreement, Impact Investments will become part of BlackRock Solutions, the firm's business arm that provides risk analytics and portfolio management services through its investment platform, Aladdin.
Consideration for the acquisition was not disclosed.
The deal means BlackRock Solutions will have its service enhanced through the addition of Impact Investments' real-time automated analytical tools. These applications will give portfolio managers the access to services such as up-to-date research on their exposures, risk, performance and style, what-if portfolio construction analysis, and derivative exposure analysis.
Furthermore managers will also have the ability to embed websites and news feeds for better information delivery.
"We look forward to incorporating Impact's functionality into Aladdin's analytics and trading capabilities and are particularly excited about the enhanced equity analysis and portfolio visualisation capabilities this will provide, further strengthening the platform's multi-asset capabilities," BlackRock Solutions managing director and head of relationship management for Robert Goldstein said.
"We believe the combination will provide tremendous value to both Impact and BlackRock Solutions clients. Given that BlackRock is among Impact's oldest clients in support of our asset management business, this was a very natural functional and organisational fit."
From Impact Investments' perspective the acquisition was agreed upon to allow it to provide a wider variety of services for its clients.
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