2024-10-16 02:55:00
Him Central and executive government of the Basque Country They maneuver to put together a takeover bid to secure and take control of Talgo. The plans promoted by Moncloa include the creation of a joint operation between the State Industrial Participation Company (SEPI); a fund dependent on the Basque government; the owner of the Sidenor steel group, José Antonio Jainaga, as an important industrial partner; and preferably also Criteriathe investment arm of the LaCaixa Foundation.
After having vetoed the takeover bid of the Hungarian group Magyar Vagon for reasons of national security, given its links with Russia, and after having shelved the merger plan of the Czech company Skoda, the Government now supports an alternative plan to provide stability shareholding in Talgo only with national partners and facilitate its exit as a shareholder of the American fund Trilantic (which controls less than 30% of the capital of the company producing railway trains, through its participation in the Pegasus consortium which holds 40.03% of the group).
The central government and the Basque executive are actively working to define a joint action in the coming weeks a purchase proposal, to be decided whether total or only partial, but whose The price is clear that it will be significantly lower than that of the Hungarian public takeover offerAccording to official sources familiar with the situation, EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA reported to EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA.
Although a specific price has not been established at the moment – negotiations are still at an early stage – the intention is that it will be much lower than the 5 euros per share offered by Magyar Vagon and which represented a very high premium for shareholders. “The 5 euros per share makes no sense. “Everyone should have clear ideas”the same sources underline.
Talgo is now “worth” 200 million less
The Hungarian group Magyar Vagon has submitted a public takeover offer (OPA) take control of Talgo a price of 5 euros per share, which meant valuing the Spanish company at 619 million of euros. The railway group jumped on the stock market in the heat of the takeover bid, reaching 4.8 euros per share, below the price offered by the Hungarian company. After the government banned takeover bids, the price fell sharply again.
Last August, the Council of Ministers vetoed the Hungarian group’s takeover bid due to its shareholders’ ties to Russia, arguing that the ban was due to the need to preserve strategic interests and national security thanks to the technology developed from Talgo. Following the Cabinet’s veto of Magyar Vagon’s takeover offer due to its relations with the Kremlin, The stock collapsed to around 3.3 and 3.5 euros, more than 30% below Magyar Vagon’s offer (around 200 million less than the valuation implicit in the prohibited takeover bid).. In yesterday’s session, Talgo shares rose due to the news of attempts to activate an alternative offer.
Moncloa’s plans are now coming to fruition articulate the purchase of Talgo in a four-way operation in which The Government would participate directly through the public holding SEPI, and in which they should also havethe Basque government intervenes -who has already confirmed his interest in joining the company-, the financial giant Criteria -the investment branch of the LaCaixa Foundation- and for which the participation of industrial partners, preferably Basque, is being evaluated. The executive of the Basque Country is sounding out several local groups to join the plan, and among those who have shown interest in participating is the owner of the Sidenor steelworks, José Antonio Jainaga, who would participate in the operation through its Mirai fund.
Partial purchase or 100% acquisition?
If the operation of protection and stability of Talgo shareholders is limited to take the share that controls the Trilantic fund, it would not be necessary to launch a takeover bid for 100% of the capital (The legislation requires all shareholders to submit a bid if the 30% threshold of a listed company is exceeded.) In principle, eThe initial plan of the organizers of the new offer to reorganize Talgo’s stake does not include the launch of a takeover bid for the entire capital, which today has a stock market value of approximately 430 million euros. The initial intention would be to stay within the legal limit and take a maximum share of 29.9%.
The problem is the background Trilantic has expressed its opposition to accepting any transaction to exit Talgo that does not involve a takeover bid in which all shareholders could participate. of the company. Trilantic had expressed its support for the offer presented by the Hungarian group Magyar Vagon to take control of Talgo, at a price of 5 euros per share. But last August the Council of Ministers vetoed the Hungarian group’s takeover bid due to its shareholders’ ties to Russia, arguing that the ban was due to the need to preserve strategic and national security interests due to the technology developed from Talgo.
The operation supported by Moncloa and the Basque government aims to reorganize Talgo’s shareholder structure and promote the company with a new industrial partner that will help solve one of the company’s biggest problems: not having enough capacity in its factories to meet the record train orders it accumulates. This is why it is essential that the operation is led by an industrial group that offers these capabilities.
#price #offer #Talgo #conceived #Moncloa #Basque #government #owner #Sidenor #prohibited #takeover #bid