BNY Mellon (BK, Financial)("BK") participates in two businesses –asset management and investment servicing. The company had $1.6 trillion in assets under management and $27.9 trillion of asset under custody and/or administration, as of March 31, 2014. The businesses seem separable and more valuable on a sum-of-the-parts basis. The asset management business with its iconic Dreyfus Funds and stable of boutique managers could certainly be a stand- alone entity or would seem to attract interest from strategic or financial buyers. BK has been in the news recently given more shareholder scrutiny of its operating efficiency. recently, there have been news reports that BK could be looking to sell its Corporate Trust unit, which has been a detractor due to the run-off of high-margin securitizations.
From Third Avenue Management (Trades, Portfolio)'s second quarter 2014 shareholder letter.
