Halma makes two acquisitions worth up to £47m

(Sharecast News) - Halma announced two strategic acquisitions with a combined maximum consideration of £46.5m on Wednesday. The FTSE 100 company said that in the environmental and analysis sector, its subsidiary Alicat Scientific had successfully acquired the Alpha Instrumatics Group, based in Bradford, UK.

It said Alpha Instrumatics was known for its expertise in designing and manufacturing precision devices for measuring trace moisture in gases.

Such devices are crucial in enhancing industrial equipment safety, optimising hydrocarbon transfer efficiency, and improving pollutant detection accuracy.

Alpha Instrumatics' products are used in burgeoning markets such as industrial gases, aerospace, and industries aligned with the new energy transition.

Halma said the strategic acquisition would broaden Alicat's product portfolio, expanding its presence in existing and adjacent markets.

Alpha Instrumatics was acquired for an initial cash consideration of £31m on a cash-free, debt-free basis, funded through Halma's existing resources.

Additionally, performance-based earn-out considerations of up to £5.5m would be disbursed in cash based on Alpha Instrumatics' financial performance over the two years ending 31 March 2025.

Alpha Instrumatics reported consolidated unaudited revenue of £7.8m for the 12 months ended 30 September, with a return on sales significantly surpassing Halma's target range of 18% to 22%.

In the healthcare sector, Halma subsidiary IZI Medical Products acquired AprioMed, a company specialising in designing, manufacturing, and distributing medical devices used in bone biopsies.

The board said the strategic move would expand IZI's offerings for minimally invasive medical procedures, complementing its existing cancer diagnosis and treatment product line.

It said the consideration for AprioMed totalled SEK 130m (£10m), also on a cash-free, debt-free basis, financed through Halma's existing facilities.

AprioMed reported unaudited revenue of SEK 40m for the 12 months ended 31 March, with a return on sales that surpassed Halma's target range of 18% to 22% as well.

"Our companies have access to Halma expertise and capital to support their growth locally and internationally," said group chief executive officer Marc Ronchetti.

"These bolt-on acquisitions are strongly aligned with our purpose and financial model and will bring complementary capabilities to Alicat and IZI Medical, including new technologies and broader market reach.

"We are excited by the opportunities we see for new standalone companies to join Halma and for our existing companies to add new capabilities through bolt-on acquisitions to grow their businesses over the long term."

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.