Victory Capital (NASDAQ: VCTR) announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Harvest Volatility Management, LLC.
Harvest, which had approximately $12 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of July 31, 2018, is a leader in derivative asset management, specializing in yield enhancement overlay, risk reduction, alternative beta and absolute return investment strategies. Based on AUM for both firms as of July 31, 2018, Victory Capital would on the closing of the transaction have approximately $75 billion in firmwide AUM. This includes approximately $16 billion, or 21% of total AUM, in its Solutions Platform strategies.
Harvest, which is based in New York City, was founded in 2008 by Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager Richard L. Selvala, Jr. and Managing Partner and Chief Risk Officer Curtis F. Brockelman, Jr. Harvest has established a strong track record in managing strategies that enhance yield and reduce asset class risk exposures. Client demand for the firm’s strategies has been strong, resulting in meaningful growth in AUM since the firm’s inception. Harvest was recently named 2017 “Overlay Manager of the Year” by EQDerivatives.
Victory Capital’s integrated multi-boutique business model will enable Harvest to continue to employ its structured and disciplined investment process while remaining an independent brand. Harvest’s seasoned investment team will continue to leverage its proprietary technology platform, which supports its analytic, trading and risk management functions.
“Harvest offers a cutting-edge suite of strategies that are designed to provide investors with risk-managed sources of income, absolute return and varying levels of market exposure,” said David Brown, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Victory Capital. “The addition of Harvest as our 10th Investment Franchise aligns squarely with our stated acquisition strategy. The firm is a strong organic grower with highly specialized investment capabilities, which are outcome-oriented, highly customizable and address a specific need in client portfolios.”
“We are excited to become part of Victory Capital’s platform, with its substantial operational resources, highly complementary distribution network, and track record of supporting boutique investment firms,” said Mr. Selvala. “As always, our team will continue to seek to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for our clients.”