Ânima Controllers Buy 7% Stake After FMU Deal Sparks Selloff

SÃO PAULO — Members of Ânima Education’s controlling group have aggressively stepped in to buy the dip, purchasing a 7% stake in the company to restore market confidence. The insider buying campaign, led by chairman Daniel Castanho and his brother Rômulo Castanho, raised the controlling group's total ownership from 29.9% to 36.9%. The move was designed to stem a massive selloff that wiped out over 30% of the company's market value following the announcement of its latest acquisition.

The market panic began after Ânima (ANIM3) announced a R$ 410 million deal to acquire FMU (Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas), an institution currently in judicial recovery. Investors and analysts heavily penalized the transaction, pointing to an implied enterprise value to EBITDA multiple of 10.6x. This valuation stands in stark contrast to Ânima’s own trading multiple of just 3.3x EBITDA. Analysts from BTG Pactual downgraded the stock, citing concerns over capital allocation and an increase in leverage from 2.39x to 2.73x net debt-to-EBITDA.

Despite the market's skepticism, Ânima's management views the acquisition as a highly strategic turnaround opportunity. Company insiders argue that FMU's current EBITDA is heavily distressed, which artificially inflates the transaction multiple. They believe the asset's strong digital footprint and potential for operational recovery present significant upside. The aggressive insider buying has already started to stabilize the equity, signaling strong alignment and confidence from the founders in the long-term value of the combined business.

The volatility in Ânima comes amid broader downward pressure in the Brazilian financial markets. Today, the benchmark Bovespa index (IBOV) fell 1.24% to 173,825.27. Major market heavyweights also closed lower, with Petrobras (PETR4) dropping 1.72% to 39.89, Vale (VALE3) declining 2.05% to 72.98, and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB4) slipping 1.37% to 42.55.