The firm’s parent company, Groupe BPCE, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italian manager Generali regarding its respective asset management divisions Natixis IM and Generali Investments Holdings (GIH).
The combined firm would have €1.9 trillion ($3.1 trillion) in assets under management, ranking it the ninth-largest asset manager worldwide, and the firms said it would provide “critical scale in a fast-evolving asset management market”.
Both firms run multi-affiliate models and said this would allow the combined platform to offer a wide range of traditional and alternative solutions to retail, wholesale and institutional investors worldwide.
It would also provide an enhanced offering in private assets, which have been growing in popularity in recent years.
In Australia, Natixis IM offers products from affiliates including IML, Loomis Sayles, Mirova, Flexstone and Vaughan Nelson. It expanded its Australian Financial Services licensee in September 2023 to include financial advisers and retail investors as part of its expansion in the country.
In a joint statement, the firms said: “This proposed merger aims to unite two leading global asset managers with complementary multi-affiliate investment platforms and extensive global reach. We believe this collaboration would provide additional resources that would enhance our ability to create value for our clients.
“This would position us well for future growth opportunities. The new firm would capitalise on our strong presence in Europe and North America, enabling us to accelerate growth potential in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and MENA regions, thereby enhancing our ability to serve clients globally.”
Philippe Setbon, current chief executive of Natixis IM, would be deputy chief executive of the new company, and Woody Bradford, current chief executive of GIH, would be global CEO.
The parties’ respective employee representative bodies will be consulted before any definitive transaction documents are signed. The closing of the potential combination would be subject to customary regulatory approvals and expected by early 2026.
