MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS – AUSTRALIA

Soul Patts in $11bn LIC merger

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 23-Jun-21

Shares in listed investment company Milton rose by as much as 16 per cent to $5.80 on 22 June after it was announced it would be merging with investment house Washington H. Soul Pattinson. Soul Patts, which already owns a three per cent stake in Milton, will acquire it in an all-scrip merger that will increase Soul Patts’ market capitalisation to $10.8 billion. Soul Patts owns major holdings in Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, Brickworks, TPG Telecom and New Hope Group, while both it and Milton are chaired by Robert Milner. Soul Patts CEO Todd Barlow says the merger will mean a larger war chest for future investments and increased portfolio diversification.

CORPORATES
MILTON CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX MLT, WASHINGTON H SOUL PATTINSON AND COMPANY LIMITED – ASX SOL, AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED – ASX API, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPG, NEW HOPE GROUP, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, WAM CAPITAL LIMITED – ASX WAM

Our biggest M&A boom: $83b and counting

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 9-Jun-21

Some market watchers believe that Australia’s mergers and acquisitions activity in 2021 could top the record $US134bn worth of deals in 2011. Data from Dealogic shows that some $US64.3bn ($82.8bn) worth of M&A deals have been announced in the year to date, compared with just $US56.9bn for the same period in 2011. The surge in M&A activity is being driven by factors such as strong balance sheets and access to low-cost debt, while the boards of target companies have become more willing to engage with suitors following a rebound in valuations in the wake of the pandemic.

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Mergers of super funds to cut costs

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 : 21-May-21

Consolidation in Australia’s superannuation industry has increased in recent years, including the upcoming merger between LGIAsuper and Energy Super. The merged entity will have $22bn worth of assets under management, which will increase to $28bn when it completes a deal to acquire Suncorp’s wealth business. LGIAsuper CEO Kate Farrar believes that smaller funds will continue to have a role in the super industry, although she expects the average size of boutique funds to increase to between $30bn and $50bn.

CORPORATES
LGIASUPER, ENERGY SUPER

Consolidation looms for local lenders

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 12-Apr-21

Global payments and financial services technology group Fiserv processes about one out of every eight payment transactions in Australia. Kees Kwakernaak, the CEO of Fiserv’s Australian arm, expects further consolidation in the local banking sector in coming years. Kwakernaak anticipates mergers at the smaller end of the market in particular. However, he says consolidation in the sector is unlikely to deter non-bank financial services providers from entering the domestic market. Kwakernaak also anticipates greater collaboration among banks, which will be facilitated by initiatives such as the open banking regime.

CORPORATES
FISERV INCORPORATED

Packer taps Moelis to weigh up Crown sale

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Original article by Lachlan Moffet Gray
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 7-Apr-21

Consolidated Press Holdings has appointed investment bank Moelis Australia to advise on a possible sale of its 37 per cent stake in Crown Resorts. The private investment vehicle of businessman James Packer has stated that it is open to any "suitable transaction" for Crown shares, including the $8bn indicative bid from US private equity firm Blackstone. The offer of $11.85 per share values Packer’s stake in Crown at around $2.95bn. The casino group’s shares fell 0.84 per cent to $11.81 on 6 April.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, CONSOLIDATED PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED, MOELIS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD – ASX MOE, THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP

Investment bankers brace for deal blitz

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Original article by Tim Boyd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 11-Jan-21

Australian investment bankers are upbeat about the outlook for mergers and acquisitions activity in 2021. John Pickhaver of Macquarie Capital says local companies are likely to attract interest from foreign suitors, given Australia’s comparative success in combating COVID-19. James Disney of Credit Suisse expects private equity firms to actively pursue acquisitions in 2021. There was a spike in M&A activity in the fourth quarter of 2020, although data from Dealogic shows that the value of announced deals for the full year reached a 10-year low of $US63.2bn ($81.4bn).

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Court clears Village deal as dissenter stays away

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Original article by Max Maddison
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 16-Dec-20

The Federal Court has approved BGH Capital’s deal to acquire cinemas and theme parks group Village Roadshow. The company’s shareholders recently endorsed BGH’s scheme A offer of $3 per share. New York-based fund manager Mittleman Brothers opted against making an application to appear before the court, having been a vocal opponent of the takeover bid. BGH will have a 78 per cent stake in Village Roadshow, while the Kirby family and former CEO Graham Burke will hold a stake of about 22 per cent

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, MITTLEMAN BROTHERS LLC, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

AusSuper goes solo in $5bn Infratil bid

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 9-Dec-20

AustralianSuper is offering $NZ7.43 ($7.04) per share in an indicative, non-binding takeover offer for New Zealand-based Infratil. The offer comprises a cash component of $NZ5.79 per share and an in-specie distribution of shares in renewable energy provider Trustpower. The bid for the dual-listed Infratil is the first major deal that AustralianSuper has pursued on its own; the industry fund has previously teamed up with co-investors to bid for companies such as Navitas and Healthscope. AustralianSuper is said to have been looking at Infratil for at least a year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, INFRATIL LIMITED – ASX IFT, NAVITAS LIMITED, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED

Bega cooks up Aussie food champ

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 28 : 27-Nov-20

Bega Cheese’s executive chairman Barry Irvin expects to achieve synergies of about $41m soon after the deal to acquire Lion Dairy & Drinks from Kirin Holdings is completed in early 2021. Bega will raise $401m from investors to partially finance the $534m deal, with new shares to be offered at $4.60 apiece. The acquisition will add milk and yoghurt brands such as Pura, Dairy Farmers and Yoplait to Bega’s portfolio, which includes non-dairy products such as Vegemite and peanut butter. The federal government blocked the sale of Lion to China Mengniu Dairy in August, deeming that the $600m deal was not in the national interest.

CORPORATES
BEGA CHEESE LIMITED – ASX BGA, LION-DAIRY AND DRINKS PTY LTD, KIRIN HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED, CHINA MENGNIU DAIRY COMPANY LIMITED

BGH lifts takeover offer for Village

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Original article by Ben Wilmot
The Australian – Page: 21 : 20-Nov-20

BGH Capital is set to increase its takeover offer for Village Roadshow from $2.22 per share to $3, valuing its revised bid at $586m. Spheria Asset Management’s portfolio manager Matthew Booker has previously indicated that an offer of around $3 per share should satisfy shareholders; Spheria has a 7.8 per cent stake in Village. However, 14.34 per cent shareholder Mittleman Brothers is of the view that the revised offer still undervalues the cinemas and theme parks group.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, SPHERIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD