European Event-Driven Analyst

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Event-Driven

Porsche Automobil Holding  / Event-Driven

Porsche Automobil Holding SE is a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, offers development, production, and sale of automobiles along with financial services. Porsche operates worldwide.

<ul>
<li>
Dividend cut reflects strategic shift: Porsche SE cut its 2024 dividend due to reduced Volkswagen inflows and focus on deleveraging, limiting its near-term appeal as a dividend pass-through holding structure.</li>
<li>
Diversification stillsSuperficial: despite claims of expanding into defense and infrastructure, Porsche SE’s portfolio remains 99% tied to Volkswagen and Porsche AG, making its diversification strategy more rhetorical than real.</li>
<li>
Discount to NAV remains high: Porsche SE trades at a 33.4% NAV discount, reflecting legal overhangs and structural inefficiencies. Favorable rulings could trigger re-rating if legal risks prove overstated.</li>
</ul>



Dividend cut reflects strategic shift: Porsche SE cut its 2024 dividend due to reduced Volkswagen inflows and focus on deleveraging, limiting its near-term appeal as a dividend pass-through holding structure.

Diversification stillsSuperficial: despite claims of expanding into defense and infrastructure, Porsche SE’s portfolio remains 99% tied to Volkswagen and Porsche AG, making its diversification strategy more rhetorical than real.

Discount to NAV remains high: Porsche SE trades at a 33.4% NAV discount, reflecting legal overhangs and structural inefficiencies. Favorable rulings could trigger re-rating if legal risks prove overstated.


Porsche Automobile Holding: Q1 2025, Discount to NAV

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE provides FTA and pay TV broadcasting services in Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The Group operates digital entertainment activities such as advertising and subscription based VOD streaming services, a global multi-channel network, and online games. It also invests in digital commerce companies and produces TV programming.

<ul>
<li>PPF launched a superior partial cash offer at €7.00 per share, positioning itself as a white knight against MFE’s lower-value bid and supporting ProSiebenSat.1’s current strategy.</li>
<li>MFE’s mixed cash-share offer, based on a €5.70 valuation, lacks a premium and aims for creeping control; it has published its offer prospectus but hasn’t raised the price.</li>
<li>Risk arbitrageurs may find an attractive setup in long ProSiebenSat.1, short MFE trades, though apportionment and offer risks require careful sizing and attention to German takeover rules.</li>
</ul>


PPF launched a superior partial cash offer at €7.00 per share, positioning itself as a white knight against MFE’s lower-value bid and supporting ProSiebenSat.1’s current strategy.
MFE’s mixed cash-share offer, based on a €5.70 valuation, lacks a premium and aims for creeping control; it has published its offer prospectus but hasn’t raised the price.
Risk arbitrageurs may find an attractive setup in long ProSiebenSat.1, short MFE trades, though apportionment and offer risks require careful sizing and attention to German takeover rules.


Broadcast Battles: PPF’s White Knight Bid Challenges MFE’s Media Ambition

Rio Tinto plc is an international mining company. The Company has interests in mining for aluminum, borax, coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, silver, tin, uranium, zinc, titanium dioxide feedstock, diamonds, talc and zircon. Dually-listed company with RIO AU.

<ul>
<li>Discounts to NAV of covered holdcos mainly widened during April. CF Alba was delisted following conclusion of the takeover acceptance period. Discounts: GBL, 35.3% as of 2 May (vs. 37.6%);</li>
<li>Heineken Holding, 12.3% (vs. 11.2%); Industrivärden C, 9.1% (vs. 2.9%); Investor B, 5.8% (vs. 4.2%); Porsche Automobile Holding, 29.2% (vs. 31.9%); Rio DLC 25.8% (vs. 21.7%); Vivendi 40% (vs. 40.1%). </li>
<li>What seems interesting (unchanged views): Porsche SE vs. listed assets and the Rio DLC (long RIO LN/short RIO AU).</li>
</ul>


Discounts to NAV of covered holdcos mainly widened during April. CF Alba was delisted following conclusion of the takeover acceptance period. Discounts: GBL, 35.3% as of 2 May (vs. 37.6%);
Heineken Holding, 12.3% (vs. 11.2%); Industrivärden C, 9.1% (vs. 2.9%); Investor B, 5.8% (vs. 4.2%); Porsche Automobile Holding, 29.2% (vs. 31.9%); Rio DLC 25.8% (vs. 21.7%); Vivendi 40% (vs. 40.1%). 
What seems interesting (unchanged views): Porsche SE vs. listed assets and the Rio DLC (long RIO LN/short RIO AU).


Selected European HoldCos and DLC: April 2025 Report

BP plc is an oil and petrochemicals company.  The Company explores for and produces oil and natural gas, refines, markets, and supplies petroleum products, generates solar energy, and manufactures and markets chemicals.  BP's chemicals include terephthalic acid, acetic acid, acrylonitrile, ethylene and polyethylene.

<ul>
<li>Shell–BP deal offers strong industrial logic, with $70B in synergies justifying a 40–50% premium while delivering robust EPS accretion and strategic energy transition alignment.</li>
<li>Regulatory hurdles are real but manageable, with anticipated divestitures in UK/EU fuel retail and limited structural issues in the U.S.</li>
<li>Multiple financing structures are viable; a 60/40 cash-stock mix preserves leverage discipline, limits dilution, and enhances deal feasibility from a risk-arb perspective.</li>
</ul>


Shell–BP deal offers strong industrial logic, with $70B in synergies justifying a 40–50% premium while delivering robust EPS accretion and strategic energy transition alignment.
Regulatory hurdles are real but manageable, with anticipated divestitures in UK/EU fuel retail and limited structural issues in the U.S.
Multiple financing structures are viable; a 60/40 cash-stock mix preserves leverage discipline, limits dilution, and enhances deal feasibility from a risk-arb perspective.


Crude Awakening: Shell’s Possible Bid to Refine BP’s Future

Banco de Sabadell SA attracts deposits and offers commercial banking services. The Bank offers mortgage, consumer, student, and building improvement loans, private banking services, and insurance, and sponsors Visa credit cards.  The Bank operates branches throughout Spain, elsewhere in Europe, the Caribbean, the Americas, and Asia.

<ul>
<li>CNMC approved BBVA’s bid with mild SME lending and branch access commitments. The offer now enters Phase 3, with government review and CNMV filing expected by late Q2 2025.</li>
<li>Sabadell shares trade 6.7% above the offer value, suggesting market expectation of an improved bid or deal failure. The gross spread is negative despite regulatory momentum.</li>
<li>BBVA’s CET1 would drop to 11.99% under current terms. It can raise the cash offer by €0.12–0.17/share and still stay above 11.5%, allowing room to improve the deal.</li>
</ul>


CNMC approved BBVA’s bid with mild SME lending and branch access commitments. The offer now enters Phase 3, with government review and CNMV filing expected by late Q2 2025.
Sabadell shares trade 6.7% above the offer value, suggesting market expectation of an improved bid or deal failure. The gross spread is negative despite regulatory momentum.
BBVA’s CET1 would drop to 11.99% under current terms. It can raise the cash offer by €0.12–0.17/share and still stay above 11.5%, allowing room to improve the deal.


BBVA’s Hostile Offer for Sabadell Moves into Final Phase: The Catalan Conundrum

European event-driven, risk-arb & special-sits

Europe Event-Driven
European event-driven, risk-arb & special-sits

Porsche Automobile Holding: Q1 2025, Discount to NAV

Porsche SE trades at a 33.4% NAV discount, reflecting legal and structural overhangs. Dividend cuts and weak diversification weigh, but court wins...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Broadcast Battles: PPF’s White Knight Bid Challenges MFE’s Media Ambition

PPF launches a superior partial offer for ProSieben, challenging MFE's control bid. A pivotal contest in European media with clear risk-arb angles,...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Selected European HoldCos and DLC: April 2025 Report

Discounts to NAV of covered holdcos mainly widened during April. CF Alba was delisted following conclusion of the takeover acceptance period.

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Crude Awakening: Shell’s Possible Bid to Refine BP’s Future

Shell’s potential bid for BP could ignite Europe’s biggest energy merger in decades—driven by $70B in synergies, strategic alignment, and a deal...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

BBVA’s Hostile Offer for Sabadell Moves into Final Phase: The Catalan Conundrum

BBVA's offer for Sabadell enters its final regulatory phase. With Sabadell shares trading above the bid, the market anticipates a sweeter offer or...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar