In this bi-weekly column, we provide an overview of insider transactions and investments in Quebec companies.
• Also read: The smart investor: How do you not get lost in the money jungle?
• Also read: In the eyes of Quebec Inc.: An administrator sells Couche-Tard
BioMérieux grants Lumed $13 million
Photo from Lumed website
Lumed was founded in 2012 by Mathieu Beaudoin, Louis Valiquette and Vincent Nault and accepted a purchase offer from French group bioMérieux. The latter already owned 16% of the Sherbrooke company. He will pay about $13 million to acquire the remaining 84%. Lumed markets software that facilitates the monitoring of antibiotic and oncology treatments. bioMérieux is listed on the stock exchange, present in 45 countries and has annual sales of more than $5 billion.
Another big win for Couche-Tard's CEO
Brian Hannasch with European Couche-Tard employees. Photo from Alimentation Couche-Tard's annual report
Alimentation Couche-Tard big boss Brian Hannasch made a profit of more than $15.3 million last week by exercising stock options in the Quebec retailer. In December, he collected $6 million in the same way. Couche-Tard stock has gained about 30% over the past 52 weeks.
He buys as soon as he arrives
Jean Philippe De Montigny. Photo from LinkedIn
Jean-Philippe De Montigny, who took up his position as head of transformation at Savaria on Monday, bought shares in the Laval maker of residential elevators for $315,000 on Thursday. He comes from the Montreal office of consulting firm McKinsey, where he worked for more than 15 years.
Clinia raises $10 million
Screenshot of the Clinicia website
Young Montreal company Clinia raised $10 million in a funding round led by TELUS, which also included participation from Anges Québec and Kastello, the holding company of Richard Fortin, one of Couche-Tard's founders. Founded in 2016, Clinia offers solutions that allow, in particular, the creation of directories of healthcare professionals.
He puts it back in BTB
Michel Léonard photo from LinkedIn
The CEO of real estate investment fund BTB, Michel Léonard, bought nearly $100,000 worth of shares in the Montreal company a week ago. He now owns about $3.2 million. BTB owns 75 industrial, office and retail properties with a total value of $1.2 billion. The company's stock offered a negative return of 11% in 2023 despite its generous 10% payout.
Nice win for a Dollarama boss
Nicolas Hien. Photo from LinkedIn
Dollarama IT CEO Nicolas Hien made more than $715,000 last week by exercising options on the popular retail chain. Dollarama stock has gained more than 20% over the past 52 weeks.
Quebec invests $4 million in Vision Marine
Alexandre Mongeon, CEO of Vision Marine Technologies. LinkedIn
The Department of Economic Affairs invested just over $4 million in preferred shares and stock warrants in Boisbriand-based Vision Marine Technologies. If these securities are converted into shares, the state will receive a nearly 33% stake in the electric boat engine maker. Vision Marine shares have fallen more than 90% since listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange in late 2020.
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