Cevian Capital, an activist investor from Sweden, has raised its stake in Smith+Nephew to 6.4%, as highlighted in a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The filing, dated December 20, 2024, reveals that Cevian now controls 56,187,561 voting shares. This positions Cevian as a leading shareholder in the Watford, U.K.–based orthopedic and sports medicine company.
Previously, BlackRock was the only notable shareholder in Smith+Nephew, holding 5.2%, as reported in the company’s annual report last year. However, during the summer, Cevian Capital acquired a 5.1% stake, expressing concerns to Reuters about Smith+Nephew’s inability to maximize shareholder returns, despite its “promising business foundations.”
According to Cevian Capital’s strategic overview, the firm focuses on acquiring major minority positions in European market-leading businesses with strong operational metrics, where there is potential for performance enhancement and value growth.
Smith+Nephew ranks as the 24th-largest medical device manufacturer worldwide and the fifth-largest in orthopedics, as per Medical Design & Outsourcing’s 2024 Medtech Big 100 rankings.
In November 2024, The Financial Times mentioned that substantial investors have urged Smith+Nephew to consider a spinoff of its underperforming orthopedics segment.
The company has recently put up its 300,000-square-foot Memphis office campus for sale and has initiated layoffs both in Memphis and additional locations to streamline operations and boost efficiency.