MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS – AUSTRALIA

Woolies finalises hardware sell-off

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 : 4-Oct-16

The hardware division of Metcash will boast sales of $A2.2bn following the completion of a deal to acquire the Home Timber & Hardware business from Woolworths. The expanded division will comprise about 800 retail stores and a hardware wholesaling business. Woolworths is still engaged in legal action with joint venture partner Lowe’s regarding its exit from the ill-fated Masters Home Improvement business.

CORPORATES
METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, HOME TIMBER AND HARDWARE, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, LOWE’S COMPANIES INCORPORATED, MITRE 10 LIMITED, TRUE VALUE HARDWARE LIMITED, THRIFTY-LINK HARDWARE PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Bradken board backs Hitachi bid

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 17 & 19 : 4-Oct-16

Directors of listed mining services group Bradken have endorsed a takeover bid from Hitachi Construction ­Machinery. The offer of $A3.25 per values Bradken at $A688.5m, or $A976.1m when its debt is included, and is 34 per cent higher than the stock’s last trading price. The Japanese suitor boasts annual sales of $A10bn and a market capitalisation of $A5.5bn. President and CEO Yuichi Tsujimoto says the two companies’ operations are complementary.

CORPORATES
BRADKEN LIMITED – ASX BKN, HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY COMPANY LIMITED, PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, BAIN CAPITAL LLC, KOCH INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED, CHAMP PRIVATE EQUITY PTY LTD, SIGDO KOPPERS SA, EMECO HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX EHL, AUSENCO LIMITED – ASX AAX, CARDNO LIMITED – ASX CDD, SEDGMAN LIMITED

Quadrant muscles up with Fitness First buy

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Original article by Jessica Gardner, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 30-Sep-16

Quadrant Private Equity has bought gym chain Fitness First from Oaktree Capital Management. Quadrant has recently been quite active in the gym market, acquiring the Goodlife Health Clubs network, Jetts Fitness and HYPOXI. Quadrant’s Fitness & Lifestyle Group, which is believed to be worth about $A800 million, comprises now 224 company-owned gyms and 188 franchised outlets.

CORPORATES
QUADRANT PRIVATE EQUITY PTY LTD, FITNESS FIRST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, GOODLIFE HEALTH CLUBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, JETTS FITNESS PTY LTD, HYPOXI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Review may force funds to merge

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 22-Sep-16

Superannuation industry experts suggest that any move to introduce alternatives to the default super fund system could result in more consolidation in the sector. Potential options that have been canvassed by the Productivity Commission in an issues paper include a tender system for default funds. Financial Services Council CEO Sally Loane notes that smaller funds with high fees may be forced to merge if the default super regime is opened to more competition.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SUPERANNUATION TRUSTEES, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

JB Hi-Fi bets big on Good Guys

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 14-Sep-16

JB Hi-Fi will finance the acquisition of The Good Guys via a capital raising and a $A450m debt facility. The listed consumer electronics and home entertainment group will raise $A394m from investors, with the new stock to be issued at $A26.20 apiece. JB Hi-Fi anticipates annual cost savings of between $A15m and $A20m as a result of the $A870m acquisition of The Good Guys. The deal will increase JB Hi-Fi’s sales to $A6bn a year and lift its share of the consumer electronics and household appliances market.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, THE GOOD GUYS, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, OPHIR ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

ARM takeover spurs back-office cuts

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 12-Sep-16

APN News & Media’s deal to sell its Aust­ralian Regional Media division to News Corp Australia will be put to shareholders on 16 September 2016. ARM publishes regional and community newspapers in New South Wales and Queensland, and employs about 1,200 people. News Corp is expected to retrench about 300 staff if the deal proceeds, although these are likely to include some staff in its own regional operations in order to reduce duplication.

CORPORATES
APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIA, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS, PLATINUM EQUITY HOLDINGS, FETCH PLUS INCORPORATED PTE LTD, HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES LIMITED

Evolution strikes glittering $880m deal with Glencore

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Original article by Paul Garvey, Gretchen Friemann
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 25-Aug-16

Australian-listed Evolution Mining will fund an $A880m deal to acquire an economic interest in Glencore’s Ernest Henry mine in Queensland via a $A401m equity ­raising and debt. Evolution will acquire all future gold production at the mine, whose annual output is about 80,000 to 850,000 ounces per year, plus 30 per cent of future copper output. Ernest Henry is expected to have a remaining mine life of about 11 years. Evolution will also undertake further exploration at the mine.

CORPORATES
EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, GLENCORE PLC, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT, MINJAR GOLD PTY LTD

Caltex’s Segal eyes Woolies fuel retail chain

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 11 : 24-Aug-16

It is estimated that Woolworths’ petrol stations business could fetch between $A1.3bn and $A1.5bn. Dale Koenders of Citigroup believes that Caltex Australia is likely to be the only bidder for the fuel retailing business, and Caltex CEO Julian Segal says his company would be interested in the division if it is put on the market. Caltex also intends to trial revamped convenience stores at some of its petrol stations. The pilot stores will feature quick service restaurants, fresh food and barista-made coffee.

CORPORATES
CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, INVESTORS MUTUAL LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, VIVA ENERGY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, VIVA ENERGY REIT – ASX VVR

Philippine firm snaps up snacks maker for $600m

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 18-Aug-16

Universal Robina has increased its presence in the snack foods sector with the acquisition of Snack Brands Australia, whose products include Samboy and Kettle potato chips. Philippines-based Universal Robina has indicated that Snack Brands will remain an independent business, while it intends to launch the company’s products in Asia. Snack Brands’ market share in Australia is almost 30 per cent, and it boasts annual sales of $A303m. Universal Robina’s annual sales are about $A3bn.

CORPORATES
SNACK BRANDS AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSAL ROBINA CORPORATION, GRIFFINS FOODS LIMITED, PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, FRITO-LAY INCORPORATED, THE SMITH’S SNACKFOOD COMPANY LIMITED, THE RED ROCK DELI CHIP COMPANY, THE KETTLE COOKED CHIP COMPANY PTY LTD, SAMBOY, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, ARNOTT’S BISCUITS LIMITED, CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY, THORNEY INVESTMENTS PTY LTD, MONDE NISSIN CORPORATION, MENORA FOODS PTY LTD, NUDIE PTY LTD, BLACK SWAN FOODS, BRIGHT FOOD GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, MANASSEN FOODS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WILMAR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, FIRST PACIFIC COMPANY LIMITED, GOODMAN FIELDER LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, INTRINSIC PARTNERS, KING AND WOOD MALLESONS

Bankers, lawyers to get busy as merger deals poised to pick up

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 12-Aug-16

Data from Dealogic shows that the value of announced mergers and acquisitions deals in Australia in the year-to-date has fallen to an 11-year low of $US36.3bn. However, the Real Flow Predictor report from Intralinks suggests that there will be an upturn in announced M&As in the final quarter of 2016. Karen Evans-Cullen of law firm Clayton Utz is also upbeat about the outlook for M&A activity.

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, INTRALINKS PTY LTD, CLAYTON UTZ, AUSGRID PTY LTD, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, BROOKFIELD INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS LP, QUBE PROPERTY GROUP PTY LTD, THE GOOD GUYS, NATURE’S CARE, PORT OF MELBOURNE, STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA, CHEUNG KONG INFRASTRUCTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY