NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - January 25, 2011) - Crystal Research Associates, LLC announced today that it has issued an Executive Informational Overview® (EIO®) on Laep Investments Ltd. (
Laep Investments Ltd. ("Laep" or "the Company") was founded to acquire private equity investments with a focus on Brazil, which is ranked as one of the most attractive emerging markets for investors. The Company is opportunity driven and also considers investments in other countries.
Laep assumes an active role in the corporate governance of its assets, seeking to increase their value by implementing strict management and restructuring companies before ultimately divesting them. While primarily focusing on assets that are distressed or that operate in unconsolidated industries, Laep also targets companies that it believes are in solid financial standing to provide a competitive advantage and are synergistic with its existing portfolio, or that represent a solid opportunity.
In 2006, Laep's subsidiary Lácteos do Brasil S.A. acquired a widely known Brazilian dairy company -- Parmalat Brasil S.A. Indústria de Alimentos -- following the bankruptcy of Parmalat Italia, its parent company. As well, the Company has acquired several other Brazilian dairy companies.
In line with a goal of consolidating the Brazilian dairy industry and following a corporate restructuring and debt realignment strategy, Laep entered into a joint venture with Monticiano Participações S.A. Monticiano is also partially owned by GP Investments Ltd., a Latin American private equity firm. Laep holds a 60% minority interest in Monticiano. In late 2010, Monticiano entered into an agreement to acquire its largest competitor, merging its operations and creating a new subsidiary called Lacteos Brasil S.A. ("LBR"), potentially a leading Brazilian dairy company. The merged entities have combined annual revenues of roughly R$3 billion.
Laep's Brazilian depositary receipts (BDRs) are traded on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa) under the ticker "MILK11." As well, the Company is listed on the Euro MTF market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
About Crystal Research Associates, LLC
Crystal Research Associates, LLC is an independent research firm that provides institutional-quality, fee-based research to small- and mid-cap companies. The firm is led by veteran Wall Street sell-side analyst Jeffrey Kraws, who is well known by the international financial media for his years of work on Wall Street and for providing consistent award-winning analyses and developing long-term relationships on both the buy-side and sell-side. He has been consistently ranked on Wall Street among the Top Ten Analysts for pharmaceutical stock performance in the world for almost two decades as well as ranked as the Number One Stock Picker in the world for pharmaceuticals by Starmine and for estimates from Zacks. Additionally, Mr. Kraws has been 5-Star Ranked for top biotechnology stock performance by Starmine.
Crystal Research Associates' unique and novel product, the Executive Informational Overview® (EIO®), is free of investment ratings, target prices, and forward-looking financial models. The EIO® presents a crystal clear, detailed report on a company (public or private) in a manner that is easily understood by the Wall Street financial community. The EIO® details a company's product/technology/service offerings, market size(s), key intellectual property, leadership, growth strategy, competition, risks, financial statements, key events, and other such fundamental information. Crystal Research Associates has offices in New York City, West Palm Beach, Montréal, and Toronto. Crystal Research Associates has been compensated by the Company in cash of seventy-five thousand U.S. dollars and one hundred and seventy-five thousand warrants for its services in creating this report, for updates, and for printing costs.
Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, potential applications of the Company's technology, opportunities for the Company, and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements including, limited operating history, need for future capital, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports, including forms filed with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission ("CVM").
These statements, and other forward-looking statements, are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Crystal Research Associates assumes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Jeffrey J. Kraws/Karen B. Goldfarb
Crystal Research Associates, LLC
P: (609) 306-2274
F: (609) 395-9339