JBWere is an Australian investment management firm. It was founded in Melbourne in 1840 by Jonathan Binns Were.[1]
Staniforth Ricketson, a descendant of Were, was made a partner in J. B. Were & Son Ltd in 1914 and eventually became sole proprietor. Under Ricketson, the firm consolidated its market share, promoting and underwriting share offerings for many large companies. In 1928, the firm established Were's Investment Trust Ltd, which later became the Australian Foundation Investment Company (AFIC). The firm also backed the National Reliance Investment Company in 1929, the Capel Court Investment Trust in 1936, and the Jason Investment Trust in 1937; its holdings became known as the Capel Court group of companies.[2] Ricketson expanded the firm interstate and opened a London branch; at the time of his death in 1967 the firm had over 400 employees.[3]
In 2003, Goldman Sachs purchased a 45% shareholding in JBWere.[4][5]