Last Week in Event SPACE ...
(This insight covers specific insights & comments involving Stubs, Pairs, Arbitrage, share Classifications, and Events - or SPACE - in the past week)
Bingo Industries (BIN AU) (Mkt Cap: $1.7bn; Liquidity: $3mn)
Bingo confirmed an unsolicited, highly conditional, non-binding, indicative proposal, from funds advised by CPE, which includes Macquarie Group’s infrastructure arm Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), by way of a Scheme, with an indicative cash price of $3.50/share. The proposal also references a scrip alternative that remains under development, which would provide shareholders with the option of a mix of cash and scrip at a lower upfront price than a simple cash option. Conditions include due diligence and financing, with a minimum/maximum acceptance condition attached to the cash and scrip options.
links to my insight:
Bingo Industries (ASX: BIN): Talking Trash
Bingo Industries (BIN AU): CPE/MIRA's Scavenger Hunt
Tokyo Rope Mfg (5981 JP) (Mkt Cap: $0.2bn; Liquidity: $6mn)
Nippon Steel Corporation (5401 JP) announced a Tender Offer that could raise its stake from 9.9% to 19.9% Japan-based wire rope manufacturer Tokyo Rope. The Offer Price is ¥1,500/share in cash and the bidder will be buying up to 1,625,000 shares in this Tender Offer. This is a hostile situation. NSC has stated that it is frustrated with Tokyo Rope's governance failures leading to poor business performance and the worsening of the company's financial soundness and they claim they want to make a change by raising their stake in the company. If we assume everyone other than NSC Tender their shares, the minimum fill ratio could be around 11% which is quite low.
links to:
Janaghan Jeyakumar's insight: Nippon Steel's HOSTILE Partial Tender Offer for Tokyo Rope: A Move to Mark Territory?
Travis Lundy's insight: New Money for Old Rope? Gaming Out A Hostile Partial Offer on Tokyo Rope (5981)
Zhuhai Holdings Investment (908 HK) (Mkt Cap: $0.4bn; Liquidity: $1mn)
Eight months after successfully completing a MGO, Zhuhai SASAC has returned with a pre-conditional privatisation by way of Scheme. The Offer price is HK$3.06/share, a 37.84% premium to last close, a 52.39% premium to the average closing price over the previous 30 trading days. The Offer price will not be increased. Pre-conditions include signs offs from NDRC, MoC, and SAFE. As an SOE is making the Offer, these approvals should be rubber-stamped.
(link to my insight: Zhuhai Holdings (908 HK): Zhuhai SASAC Reloads With Scheme Offer)
Pressance Corp (3254 JP) (Mkt Cap: $1.0bn; Liquidity: $9mn)
The previous Friday Open House (3288 JP) announced the results of the Partial Tender Offer (Tender Offer for 19.8815mm shares) for Pressance. Pro-Ration ended up at 60.92%. This was a LOT lower than Travis expected. He had originally expected half of Domestic Retail Investors and 89% of Foreign Active Holders to tender. I had expected Mr Yamagishi and his company "Pacific" to tender as per Tender Agreement announced at the time of the Tender Offer.
(link to Travis' insight: Pressance Partial Tender - Almost EVERYONE Tendered)
Polytec Asset Holdings (208 HK) (Mkt Cap: $0.5bn; Liquidity: <$1mn)
Polytec announced a proposed privatisation by way of Scheme from Intellinsight Holdings Limited, a vehicle wholly-owned by Or Wai Sheun, Polytec's chairman. The Offer price is HK$1.50/share, a 61.29% premium to last close, and a 72.55% premium to the average closing price over the previous 30 trading days, and a decade+ high. The Offer price will not be increased. No dividend has been declared, nor is one expected to be declared during the Offer period.
(link to my insight: Polytec Asset (208 HK): Offer By Way Of A Scheme)
Japan Asia (3751 JP) (Mkt Cap: $0.2bn; Liquidity: $3mn)
Just over two months ago, Janaghan wrote on the MBO of JAG launched at JPY 600/share, asking the question Japan Asia (3751 JP) Management Buyout: Should There Be a BUMP? The leading question had an obvious answer. Yes. Renowned Japan activist Yoshiaki Murakami and the various entities from which he and his crew deploy capital thought the price too low, as soon became obvious. Last week, after accumulating near 20%, they announced their intention to conduct a competing Tender Offer at a 40% premium to Carlyle's, which was extended. There are still a few hurdles, but the price of the shares has long eclipsed the Carlyle bid. Now shares are trading above the indicative JPY 840/share bid.
(link to Travis' insight: Murakami Fund's Tender for JAG (3751): May Be Rangebound Near-Term)
On the 9th of November, the board of ENGR made an announcement that it would consider at the board meeting to take place 3 days hence, theretofore for the purposes of, inter alia, considering and approving the Q2 financial results, a buyback of shares. There were no details. After the board meeting three days later, they announced that the plan was to propose a buyback of 69,869,047 shares at a price of Rs 84/share, which was effectively the maximum legal amount which could be spent on a buyback due to the statutory limit being 25% of the aggregate of the fully-paid-up share capital and the free reserves. It was 11.06% of shares out. They proposed a postal ballot which the ran from 21 Nov to 20 Dec. Shareholders approved. They set a 1 January record date.
(link to Travis' insight: Hefty Engineers India Buyback Tender - Worth The Arb If You OwnCh)
Zhejiang New Century Hotel Management Group (1158 HK) (Mkt Cap: $0.6bn; Liquidity: <$1mn)
ZNCH announced a pre-conditional Offer from a vehicle co-owned by Sequoia China and Ocean Link. The Offer price is HK$18.15/share, a 23.9% premium to last close, and a 20.8% premium to the average closing price over the previous 30 trading days. The Offer price will not be increased. ZNCH has 280mn shares out, comprising 70,000,000 H shares (25% of shares out), 159,659,640 domestic shares (57% of shares out), and 50,340,360 unlisted foreign shares (18% of shares out). Sequoia China/Ocean Link currently hold no shares.
(link to my insight: Zhejiang New Century (1158 HK): Pre-Conditional Offer)
Think Childcare (TNK AU) (Mkt Cap: $0.1bn; Liquidity: <$1mn)
On 16 November 2020, Australia-based Childcare company Think Childcare (TNK AU) received a Non-binding Indicative Proposal at an Offer Price of A$1.35/share from the PE arm of Alceon Group. A week later, TNK received a competitive bid at an Offer Price of A$1.75/share from Busy Bees Early Learning Australia. Busy Bees has now revised their competitive bid to A$2.10/share - a 20% bump from the previous bid level.
(link to Janaghan's insight: Think Childcare (TNK AU): Bigger Bid by Busy Bees)
HKC Holdings (190 HK) (Mkt Cap: $0.5bn; Liquidity: <$1mn)
PRC property developer HKC announced a privatisation offer by way of a Scheme from the controlling Oei family. The offer price of $8/share is a 120.39% premium to last close and around an eight-year high. The Offer price will not be increased. An interim dividend of HK$0.13/share has been declared and will NOT be deducted from the cancellation price. Disinterested Scheme shares total 117.16mn or 22.93% of shares out, therefore the blocking stake at the court meeting will be 2.293%. No single shareholder has such a stake. The headcount test applies as HKC is Bermuda incorporated.
(link to my insight: HKC (190 HK): Take-Private Offer By Way Of A Scheme)
Himaraya Co Ltd (7514 JP) (Mkt Cap: $0.1bn; Liquidity: <$1mn)
The Japanese sports retail market has traditionally been dominated by four big retailers, Alpen Co Ltd (3028 JP), Xebio Holdings (8281 JP), Mega Sports (owned by Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP)) and Himaraya. With Mitsubishi Corp (8058 JP)'s financial and supply chain support, Himaraya overtook Mega Sports a few years ago but Himaraya’s sales have since contracted and Mitsubishi gradually reduced its stake while still retaining its core supply role.
(link to Michael Causton's insight: Japan Sports Retail in Flux as Mitsubishi Ditches Himaraya)
Rivera Holdings (281 HK) (Mkt Cap: $0.2bn; Liquidity: <$1mn)
Rivera, an investment holding company, which occasionally dabbles in property development and investment in Hong Kong, Macau, and China, announced a proposed privatisation by way of a Scheme. Scheme shares will be cancelled in exchange for $0.65/share cash, a 62.5% premium to last close. The Offer Price will not be increased. The Offeror is an unlisted vehicle owned as to 66% by Hsu Feng, 17% by Albert Tong, and 17% by Charles Tong, all of whom are directors. The headcount test does not apply as Rivera is Hong Kong incorporated.
(link to my insight: Rivera (281 HK): Scheme Or Face Delisting)
In Joban Kaihatsu MBO Price Bumped, Tender Extended: Still Not Rolling In Clover, Travis discussed the bidder had raised its bid for Joban Kaihatsu (1782 JP) to ¥9,000/share from ¥7,800/share, and extended the Tender Offer another 11 days to 9 February. This is a trade for people committed to activism for the sake of activism, and profits. If the Tender Offer Price does not go higher, and the TOB is not successful, Travis expects that the shareholder base may seek to boot the CEO and perhaps the other directors, but it is not clear to me what the upside would be in terms of shareholder returns after that.
After shares of both LG Electronics (066570 KS) and LG Corp (003550 KS) bounced mid-week, in Will LG Electronics Finally Sell or Discontinue the MC Business & Fix Its Achilles Heel?, Douglas Kim discussed the additional value accretion to LG Electronics if the MC business unit was discontinued.
The Composite Doc is out for the proposal for China Zhongdi Dairy (1492 HK). The first close is the 8 February. Compulsory acquisition is afforded if the Offeror - Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (A) (600887 CH) - secures 90% or more of the disinterested Shares. The irrevocables total 93.62%. The Offeror has stated its intention to avail itself of its powers of compulsory acquisition. Done deal. Link to my insight: Zhongdi Dairy (1492 HK): Doc Out. Compulsory Acquisition Afforded.
TSE Market Structure & Major Index Revision
Just over two years ago, the FSA and TSE set themselves on a journey to "Review" and then revise the "TSE's Cash Equity Market Structure". This process promises significant changes to the major benchmark index for public equities in Japan. That would affect futures markets, options markets, ETFs, passive funds which track the major domestic indices, and not least, a bunch of companies. Unfortunately, there has been little new, and things have progressed quite slowly. Building consensus among people who have received guidance on what the results of their "study" should be seems to take longer than it should. And the fact that there has been no Official Japan effort to accelerate the content of the revisions to the Corporate Governance Code, or accelerate consideration of what might happen to hundreds of smallcap stocks which will be affected seems odd.
(link to Travis' insight: TSE Market Structure & Major Index Revision: Still Much Ado About Nothing)
Singapore Exchange: Asia’s Future SPAC Hub
In my insight Virtual IPOs/Direct Listings: Uninhibited Price Discovery on the 29 November last year, I mentioned a white paper on special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) may be issued by the SGX in the first half of the following year. Last week the Business Times reported that a consultation could be launched by the SGX as early as this quarter.
(link to my insight: Singapore Exchange: Asia's Future SPAC Hub)
This week saw a gentle rebound in Quiddity H/A Share Recommendations (mixed long/short the spreads). Spread momentum slowed and volatility in H names remains high. Volatility in H/A spreads remains high with several spreads getting whipped around as the Hs themselves get whipped around (some led by their A, obviously).
(link to Travis' insight: Quiddity Weekly H/A: Natl Team Still Buys SMIC, Rest of SB Is Negative, Quiddity Recos Avg +1.21%)
Kuaishou Tech IPO: Fast Entry Possibilities into MSCI, FTSE, China 50, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSCI. The expected US$50bn valuation would give the company a higher market cap than its listed peers, Bilibili Inc (BILI US) at US$43bn and iQIYI Inc (IQ US) at US$16bn. In Kuaishou Tech IPO: Fast Entry Possibilities into MSCI, FTSE, China 50, HSCEI, HSTECH, HSCI and Kuaishou Technology Pre-IPO - Index Implications, MSCI, FTSE and HSI Indices, Brian Freitas and Sumeet Singh break down the possibility of the stock being included in the MSCI Standard index, the FTSE All-World index, the FTSE China 50 index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI INDEX), Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH INDEX) and the Hang Seng Composite Index.
PTT Oil and Retail (OR TB)'s shares will be offered to general investors between 24 January and 2 February with final pricing to be announced on 3 February and shares should begin trading mid February. Using prices from the close of trading on 15 January, the stock should be included in the SET50 index at the close on its third day of trading, but the final decision is dependent on PTT Oil's closing price on its first trading day and also on the performance of the current constituents of the SET50 index and the Thailand SET Index (SET INDEX). There is a medium probability of the stock getting Fast Entry into the FTSE GEIS and a low probability of being included in the MSCI GIMI. Link to Brian's insight: PTTOR and Fast Entry Index Inclusion: Fuel Up for SET50; FTSE Close; MSCI Far.
S&P Dow Jones Indices will announce changes to the S&P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX) as part of the March index review on 12 March and the changes will be effective after the close of trading on 19 March. The data cutoff for the March review is 26 February. Using market data to the close of trading on 15 January, Brian expects PointsBet Holdings Pty Ltd (PBH AU), De Grey Mining (DEG AU), and Codan Ltd (CDA AU) to be added to the index, replacing Service Stream (SSM AU), Tassal (TGR AU) and Gwa Group Ltd (GWA AU). Pilbara Minerals (PLS AU) and Champion Iron (CIA AU) are close adds while Bravura Solutions (BVS AU) and Smartgroup Corp (SIQ AU) are close deletes. Link to Brian's insight: ASX200 Index Rebalance Preview: Three Potential Changes for Now; Could Increase to Five.
FTSE GEIS Index Rebalance Preview. Brian expects Nongfu Spring (9633 HK) and Ming Yuan Cloud Group (909 HK) to be included in the FTSE All-World index plus a lot of changes in stocks migrating from the All-Cap to All-World index and vice versa. The March review will also see STAR Board stocks being included in the FTSE Emerging All Cap China A Inclusion Index which will result in passive buying from ETFs like Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fd (VWO US). Another big change will be move in Alibaba's inclusion in the index from Alibaba Group (BABA US) to Alibaba Group (9988 HK). Link to Brian's insight: FTSE GEIS Index Rebalance Preview March 21 - China.
MSCI Feb 2021 Index Rebalance Preview. Stocks Brian expects to be added to the MSCI China and MSCI Standard indices are Nongfu Spring (9633 HK), Li Auto Inc. (LI US), Ming Yuan Cloud Group (909 HK), China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services (1209 HK), JCET Group (600584 CH), Avic Aviation High-Technology (600862 CH), China International Capital Corp (601995 CH), Weimob Inc. (2013 HK), 21Vianet Group (VNET US), Daqo New Energy Corp Adr (DQ US), Ever Sunshine Lifestyle Services (1995 HK), Jiumaojiu (9922 HK) and Yihai Kerry Arawana (300999 CH), while he expects Hebei Construction Group Co (1727 HK) and Luye Pharma (2186 HK) to be deleted. Outside of China, he sees Aneka Tambang Persero (ANTM IJ) and Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board (8046 TT) being added to the index, while he expects Ace Hardware Indonesia (ACES IJ) and Standard Foods (1227 TT) to be deleted. Link to Brian's insight: MSCI Feb 2021 Index Rebalance Preview - Busier Than Usual.
FTSE TWSE Taiwan 50 Index Rebalance Preview. At the current time, Brian sees Airtac International (1590 TT) being included in the index and Sinopac Financial (2890 TT) being excluded. Evergreen Marine Corp (2603 TT) looked like it would be included in the index for a while before the big retracement in the stock that has taken it out of the inclusion zone. Passive buying on Airtac International (1590 TT) is estimated at 0.88 days of ADV while the impact of passive selling on Sinopac Financial (2890 TT) is much higher at 2.56 days of ADV. Link to Brian's insight: FTSE TWSE Taiwan 50 Index Rebalance Preview - One Pair of Changes Expected.
NIFTY50 Index Rebalance Preview. There are 3 stocks that meet the criteria for inclusion: Tata Consumer Products (TATACONS IN), Icici Lombard General Insurance Company (ICICIGI IN), and Info Edge India (INFOE IN). The three lowest-ranked stocks in the index are Gail India Ltd (GAIL IN), Indian Oil Corp (IOCL IN), and UPL Ltd (UPLL IN). Brian sees a high probability of Tata Consumer Products (TATACONS IN) being included and Gail India being excluded, and a lower probability of Icici Lombard General Insurance Company (ICICIGI IN) being included and Indian Oil being excluded. Info Edge's average free float market cap is less than 1% lower than Icici Lombard - can get close going into the tail end of the review period. Link to Brian's insight: NIFTY50 Index Rebalance Preview - Nearing The End of the Review Period.
LQ45 Index Rebalance Preview. Stocks that could be included in the index are Bank Brisyariah (BRIS IJ), Kimia Farma Persero (KAEF IJ), Timah Persero (TINS IJ) and Pp London Sumatra Indones (LSIP IJ), while stocks that could be deleted from the index are Sri Rejeki Isman (SRIL IJ), Summarecon Agung (SMRA IJ), Wijaya Karya Persero (WIKA IJ) and Jasa Marga (Persero) (JSMR IJ). Link to Brian's insight: LQ45 Index Rebalance Preview: Potential Candidates for Change.
In SET50 Index: Change to Free Float Weighting In the Works?, Brian looks at Thai stocks that would be affected by the changes and the impact of passive fund trading due to changes to free float weightings.
STAR Board - STAR50 Index Rebalance Preview. For the March review, Brians sees Cambricon Technologies Corp (688256 CH), Qi An Xin Technology Group (688561 CH), Shanghai Junshi Bioscience (688180 CH), Trina Solar Co Ltd (688599 CH), and Farasis Energy Gan Zhou (688567 CH) being included in the index. He expects Longyan Zhuoyue New Energy Co (688196 CH), Suzhou Tztek Technology Co-A (688003 CH), Beijing Seeyon Internet So-A (688369 CH), Tianjin Jiuri New Material-A (688199 CH), and Fujian Forecam Optics Co Ltd (688010 CH) to be deleted from the index to make way for the inclusions. One-way turnover is around 10%. Link to Brian's insight: STAR Board - STAR50 Index Rebalance Preview: +Adds/-Deletes = +24%.
A contingent value right, or CVR, is a type of derivative, akin to a call option, whose value is based on some future event(s) occurring. CVRs certainly have their attractions, particularly to asset acquirers. However, as discussed by Robert Sassoon in MergerTalk: Contingency Value Rights - A Track Record Found Wanting, there is a body of evidence that demonstrates that recipients rarely benefit. While their usage has become more prevalent in Biopharma transactions in recent years, CVRs bring to mind Samuel Beckett’s iconic play, Waiting for Godot. How so? Just as Godot never arrives, for many CVR recipients, the hoped-for payout rarely arrives.
WAM Capital Ltd (WAM AU) has bumped its Offer for amaysim Australia (AYS AU) to 1 new WAM share for every 2.675 AYS share; or A$0.70/share cash per share, from 1 new WAM share for every 2.7 AYS share; or A$0.695/share cash per share. AYS' largest shareholder, Longfrist with 19.19%, supports WAM's Offer.
My ongoing series flags large moves (~10%) in CCASS holdings over the past week or so, moves which are often outside normal market transactions. These may be indicative of share pledges. Or potential takeovers. Or simply help understand volume swings.
Often these moves can easily be explained - the placement of new shares, rights issue, movements subsequent to a takeover, lock-up expiry, amongst others. For those mentioned below, I could not find an obvious reason for the CCASS move.
Name | % chg | Into | Out of |
Wai Yuen Tong Medicine Holdings (897 HK) | 51.75% | MS | UBS |
Universe Intl Hldgs (1046 HK) | 51.14% | Silverbricks | Kingston |
Source: HKEx |
The following large movement(s) concern recently listed companies, and therefore are (likely) lock-up related.
Name | % chg | Into | Out of |
Raily Aesthetic Medicine (2135 HK) | 54.79% | Soochow | Outside CCASS |
Source: HKEx |
Join 55,000+ investors, including top global asset managers overseeing $13+ trillion.
Upgrade later to our paid plans for full-access.