据道琼斯澳大利亚墨尔本10月22日消息,由于71.4亿澳元(合51.5亿美元)收购报价太低,澳大利亚桑托斯公司拒绝了受到主权投资者和亚洲及海湾地区统治家族富有成员支持的私募股权公司Scepter Partners提出的收购要约。
桑托斯公司称,总部位于百慕大的Scepter Partners周二提出了这一不具约束力的现金收购提议。桑托斯表示,每股6.88澳元的出价带有投机性质,并低估了桑托斯公司资产的价值。桑托斯公司的资产包括与道达尔共有的澳大利亚东海岸Gladstone天然气出口项目以及埃克森美孚在巴布亚新矶内亚主导的天然气开发项目的权益。
据桑托斯公司称,Scepter收购提议还有附带条件,这些条件可能会与桑托斯公司正在考虑的其他选择存在冲突,桑托斯公司于今年8月启动全面战略评估。周四公布这一提议后,桑托斯公司的股价上涨至多21%。
Scepter的收购要约较桑托斯公司周二收盘价高30%。
唐绍红摘译自道琼斯
原文如下:
Santos Snubs 'Opportunistic' Takeover Offer
MELBOURNE, Australia;Santos Ltd. rejected as too low a 7.14 billion Australian dollar (US$5.15 billion) takeover offer from a private-equity firm backed by sovereign investors and wealthy members of Asian and Gulf-based ruling families.
Bermuda-based Scepter Partners made the nonbinding cash offer on Tuesday, Santos said. It said the A$6.88-a-share bid was "opportunistic" and undervalued its assets, which include its flagship Gladstone gas-export project on Australia's east coast, shared with Total SA, and a stake in an Exxon Mobil Corp.-led gas development in Papua New Guinea.
According to Santos, Scepter's offer also comes with conditions that could work against other options it is considering in a sweeping strategic review launched in August. Santos's shares jumped as much as 21% after the bid was disclosed on Thursday.
Scepter's offer represents a 30% premium to the price of Santos shares at Tuesday's close.