Institutional investors31 Aug 2022 12:25
Interesting piece yesterday from AI on Institutional investors not supporting any buy out or merger if it is deemed undervalued. This was mooted many months ago by PIs here who were concerned about any cheap takeover of SAVE.
Institutions here are averaging about 35p and hold some 60% while the top 20 shareholders hold 80% in total. Capricorn currently valued at £730m (230p) and institutions want an additional $500m (about £400m) on the table ie 60% more.
29/8/22
'Tullow Oil boss Rahul Dhir runs into opposition over his Capricorn merger plan
One after another, the shareholders of British energy company Capricorn are coming out against a merger they consider contrary to their interests.
Could it be that Palliser Capital chief investment officer James Smith has put an end to the plans of Tullow Oil chief executive Rahul Dhir to merge his company with Capricorn (formerly Cairn Energy)? An eight-page document obtained by Africa Intelligence, which is dated 8 August and signed by Smith, sets out the reasons why Palliser, a shareholder in Capricorn, plans to oppose the project. In it, Smith argues that the operation will add no value and simply give Tullow a relatively easy way of refinancing itself. He also claims that the proposed merger "materially undervalues" Capricorn.
Currently, all its output comes from Egypt. Egypt's potential, moreover, is one of the main arguments used by Smith to back his claim that Capricorn has been undervalued in the merger plan and that Tullow should put another $500m on the table. Palliser has followed the example of Legal & General Investment Management and Kite Lake Capital in taking up a position against the merger. The three investment companies together represent some 16% of Capricorn's capital.
Panic stations
Dhir, who was previously CEO at Delonex Energy and took charge of Tullow Oil in 2020, had been hoping to have the merger plan approved before the end of 2022, but the revolt of Capricorn shareholders opposed to the deal could spread and slow the operation down. Legal preparations for the merger project have cost the company millions of dollars in fees for lawyers and consultants. For Dhir, the deal was a lifeline, with Capricorn's sound financial situation allowing Tullow to re-establish its own financial health. Tullow has already sold its assets in Uganda to TotalEnergies for $500m. It is struggling, however, to arrange an early sale of its permits on Kenya's Lake Turkana.
A defeat on the Capricorn project would be a severe blow for the executive, who is determined to find a way to refinance the group's debt, allowing him subsequently to make a glorious exit as its rescuer.
When contacted, Tullow did not comment on the opposition of Capricorn shareholders to the merger. However, a spokesperson for the company told Africa Intelligence that "Tullow strongly believes that this deal has a compelling strategic and financial rationale for both companies".