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Computershare
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Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 1978, Computershare has grown (largely through overseas acquisitions) to become the world's largest share registry business. In brief, Computershare is a leading financial market services and technology provider managing over 14,000 corporate accounts totalling over 100 million shareholder accounts.. Basically, Computershare specializes in the corporate trust, stock transfer and employee share plan services for thousands of issuers and millions of securityholder accounts.
Some twenty years after its founding, in 1997, the Australian-based company Computershare began to expand its evergrowing registry business to include financial markets in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
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Encyclopedia
Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 1978, Computershare has grown (largely through overseas acquisitions) to become the world's largest share registry business. In brief, Computershare is a leading financial market services and technology provider managing over 14,000 corporate accounts totalling over 100 million shareholder accounts.. Basically, Computershare specializes in the corporate trust, stock transfer and employee share plan services for thousands of issuers and millions of securityholder accounts.
Some twenty years after its founding, in 1997, the Australian-based company Computershare began to expand its evergrowing registry business to include financial markets in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
In subsequent years, Computershare expanded its business into Ireland, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Since the year 2000, Computershare had extended its global position by acquiring an important role in the American and Canadian markets. In particular, through the acquisition of the stock transfer sectors of Harris Bank in the US and Montreal Trust in Canada. Moreover, since 2004, Computershare has made itself present in emerging markets such as Russia and India by amassing considerable stock in respective registry market's. . Also in 2004, by purchasing Pepper Global, formerly Pepper Technologies AG, Computershare expanded into the German market.
For the most part, the entry into these new markets were accomplished through financial acquisitions of existing registrar corporations.
The company currently holds offices in the following countries:
Computershare's UK operations are the result of the company's 1997 acquisition of the Royal Bank of Scotland's registrars department, which in turn had previously been bought from NatWest (this earlier acquisition had occurred some years prior to the Royal Bank of Scotland Group's 2000 takeover of NatWest).
Computershare primarily provides stock registration and transfer services to companies listed on stock markets, but also offers other facilities such as technology services for stock exchanges, investor services for shareholders and employee share plan management.
With the 2005 acquisition of Equiserve, the largest transfer agent in the US, Computershare has become one of the largest share registry providers in the US.
As part of a strategy of concentrating on its core businesses, on November 21 2005 Computershare announced its intention to sell its Markets Technology business to long-time rival OMX of Sweden. The transaction closed on January 31 2006. Under the deal, OMX acquires the X-stream and Horizon trading systems, and the Equator depository system. In addition to a cash payment, the transaction also provides Computershare with enhanced access to the Nordic market for its share registry and shareholder communications services.
Computershare is publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol CPU. In North America, CPU ADRs trade under the symbols CMSQF and CMSQY.
In February 2008, Computershare announced a cash takeover offer for Australian mailhouse group QM Technologies Limited.
Philanthropy
Computershare plays an active role in several charitable causes. Specifically, the Change a Life project raises funds that are to be invested in some of the world's most poverty-striken regions. Essentially, the goal is to help these countries achieve sustainable futures. Developing countries such a Chad, Ethiopia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Cambodia have witnessed positive initiatives funded by the charitable actions of Computershare. The funds collected from the Computershare community are managed by organizations such as World Vision in Chad and Ethiopia and CARE in Laos. Furthermore, in Sri Lanka, Computershare has developed the Come-share project which is geared towards aiding disadvantaged populations of youth by means of school funding and the donation of second-hand computers. Finally, in Cambodia, Computershare, through a joint venture with the Australian Cambodian Foundation, has donated large amounts of funds to the Sunrise Children's Village as the latter has provided the numerous "lost" children with food, shelter and education. The Computershare Change a Life Foundation accepts donations from Computershare employees, shareholders and "friends" of Computershare.
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