Marquee Asset

A company's most prized asset, one that is a highly visible symbol of its success and often the biggest contributor to its bottom line. A company with a coveted marquee asset may become a target for a bigger rival, or one with deep pockets, even if the other assets in its portfolio do not amount to much.

Also referred to as a "flagship asset" or "crown jewel."

Marquee assets are generally a feature of smaller companies with limited assets, in areas such as resources and biotechnology, rather than large, diversified companies. Examples of marquee assets are a mineral property with significant mineable resources for a junior exploration company, or a drug with sales in the hundreds of millions of dollars for a relatively small biotechnology firm.

A company would generally be unwilling to part with its marquee asset unless it's in dire financial straits. Therefore, since a healthy company with a marquee asset runs the risk of a hostile takeover, it may seek to preempt this risk through a "crown jewels" maneuver, which would compel the sale of the marquee asset in the case of a hostile bid.