MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's EXOR (MI:EXOR), the holding company of the Agnelli family, said switching its base to the Netherlands will make it easier to carry out acquisitions and raise funds in the future.
EXOR last month announced it would be following in the footsteps of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (MI:FCHA) - which it controls with a 29 percent stake and 44 percent of voting rights - and register as a Dutch company via a cross-border merger.
After fully acquiring its U.S. subsidiary Chrysler to create the world's seventh-largest car maker, Fiat two years ago took the politically sensitive decision to shift away from Italy.
In addition to registering in the Netherlands it chose Britain as its tax domicile and a dual listing in Milan and New York.
In a document published late on Friday, EXOR detailed the reasons for following FCA's example.
"The board believes that through a Dutch holding company, EXOR will enjoy greater flexibility in raising funds or carrying out acquisitions or strategic investments in the future."
In addition to FCA, EXOR's investments include luxury sports car maker Ferrari (MI:RACE), truck maker CNH Industrial (MI:CNHI), re-insurance group ParterRe (N:PRE_pd), the Economist magazine and Serie A football team Juventus.