Several stocks in the portfolio had strong returns in the quarter. Professional football (soccer) club operator Manchester United Plc. (MANU, Financial) traded higher on an announcement the Glazer Family is open to exploring strategic alternatives, including a full or partial sale of their stake. This iconic football club sports a global following north of 1 billion fans and plays in the English Premier League (EPL), the most watched professional sports league in the world. We expect MANU to continue to leverage its global brand to drive a larger revenue base enabling the acquisition of top talent to field competitive teams. We also believe MANU’s commercial opportunity for global partnerships, sponsorships and media rights remains robust. We view the near and long-term outlook for MANU to be attractive.
From John Rogers (Trades, Portfolio)' Ariel Fund fourth-quarter 2022 commentary.