Swen Lorenz
Person
Swen Lorenz is an entrepreneur, investor and fund-management executive who serves as CEO and writer at Undervalued-Shares. He is known for writing about undervalued companies and for work as a non-executive director.
What Swen Lorenz has said on podcasts
25 statements
A quarter of London main-board companies disappeared through takeovers or privatizations since 2022.
“since '22, 25% of the companies listed there have disappeared, going private, takeovers.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 5:29
UK takeover premiums often reach 40–50% or more, indicating severe market undervaluation.
“in the UK, it's often 40%, 50%, sometimes even more than that. I've seen triple-digit premiums for takeovers. And that's just an indication that the market is severely undervalued.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 5:50
The UK stock market is severely undervalued.
“The UK market is dirt cheap.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 6:05
Companies trading at four times earnings with low leverage should begin share buybacks.
“If your share is trading at 4 times earnings and you have a, you know, relatively low debt leverage, the obvious thing is to start buyback shares.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 8:57
UK corporate governance and capital allocation remain stuck in the past.
“UK is just stuck in the past. That's what it boils down to.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 10:14
Shareholders ultimately control company boards.
“ultimately the boards are controlled by the shareholders.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 12:50
Large UK fund managers could readily replace boards by coordinating their votes.
“if a bunch of them, you know, came to the same conclusions, then boards could easily be replaced.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 13:25
UK fund outflows have pushed companies toward dividends despite poor capital allocation.
“they've often been pushing companies towards paying dividends, even if that was a very bad decision in terms of optimizing your capital allocation.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 13:57
Foreign activists can help drive change in UK companies.
“foreign activists can also play a role.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 18:31
Management at a small UK real-estate company was allegedly exploiting shareholders extensively.
“management was stealing everything that wasn't nailed down.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 20:10
Capital-allocation reforms can be implemented without mass layoffs.
“implementing change when it comes to capital allocation doesn't require you to fire 10,000 employees”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 25:23
Shareholders should require company board members to own stock.
“Why is any board member allowed to not own any stock in the company? You know, I just simply wouldn't allow that as a shareholder.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 29:41
Activist investors should assess capital allocation, governance, communication, blockers, and compensation.
“Factors that we like to look at is very much capital allocation, governance, investor communication, removing structural blockers— slightly more complex subject, but you know, there's a lot of that— and then executive compensation.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 31:08
UK mergers and acquisitions and shareholder activism are about to accelerate sharply.
“the dam is about to break for M&A and activism in the UK”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 32:55
ZigUp should conduct substantial share buybacks.
“it's just screaming out for a share buyback.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 36:20
ZigUp’s seven senior managers can receive £69 million in bonus shares.
“these 7 management members can earn a total of £69 million in bonus shares.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 37:54
ZigUp targets free cash flow above £200 million by 2028.
“Last year, free cash flow rose from £17 million to £96 million, and they're now looking at getting this above £200 million by '28.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 39:20
ZigUp will likely receive a takeover bid within two or three years.
“I don't think in 2 or 3 years this will still be an independent company. I think someone will have made a bid for it.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 39:42
ZigUp faces a major risk of an unsolicited takeover at an inadequate price.
“the risk of being bought and being taken over by, you know, through an unsolicited bid, even at way too low a price, that is a major risk that boards need to consider as well.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 43:59
A significant corporate event at ZigUp is likely soon.
“I think it's only a matter of time before something happens at Ziggo.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 48:41
Craneware software is installed in 40% of US hospitals and leads its market.
“they're now installed in 40% of the United States hospitals. Number one leader in this field by far.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 50:27
Craneware will probably receive another takeover bid.
“it's probably a matter of time before another bid comes in.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 52:24
UK companies and boards can create substantial shareholder value through available reforms.
“there are so many levers that UK companies and their boards and their executives can pull to create additional value for shareholders”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 54:50
The UK market may revalue rapidly within two years as undervalued opportunities gain attention.
“in 2 years' time, we'll look back at this conversation and say, it's just incredible. We had all these undervalued opportunities. And then the whole UK market suddenly woke up and things changed overnight.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 55:23
Relisting UK companies in the US does not reliably produce valuation reratings.
“The track record for doing this sort of thing is very mixed. So it's not like you just relist and then suddenly, you know, you get rerated. It just doesn't work like that.”
Open the episode · UK stocks are dirt cheap. Why won't the boards act? $ZIG $CRW | Undervalued-SharesListen at 56:45
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
