NZ's Contact Energy to buy Manawa Energy for $1.1 bln
Contact to buy Manawa at an equity value of NZ$1,862 million
Manawa Energy eyes best day ever
Deal to be completed by 1H 2025
Rewrites lede, adds share moves and analyst comments in paragraphs 2,7 and 11
By Sherin Sunny
Sept 11 (Reuters) -New Zealand's Manawa Energy stock was on track for its best day on Wednesday after Contact Energy CEN.NZ offered to acquire the renewable energy developer for NZ$1.86 billion ($1.14 billion).
Shares of Manawa Energy rose 33% to NZ$5.36, while those of Contact Energy CEN.NZ fell 0.2% to NZ$8.46.
Manawa shareholders are expected to receive NZ$5.95 per share in cash and stock, representing a 47.6% premium to the company's last close, according to a statement.
"Contact will retain various funding options post implementation of the Scheme that mean it will be well-placed to accelerate the progression of Manawa's development portfolio," Manawa's Chairman Deion Campbell said.
Contact will look to repay Manawa's debt facilities after completion of the deal.
The company estimates to realise portfolio and cost synergies of about NZ$33-NZ$48 million per annum (on a 100% run-rate basis), Manawa said in the statement.
"This looks like a good deal for both sets of shareholders. We think Manawa was heavily undervalued and the offer price looks fair, considering it's a mostly scrip bid," said Adrian Atkins, senior equity analyst for Morningstar.
"Our hydro assets are complementary, with different seasonal generation profiles, which will help Contact to better manage dry year risk and to sell larger volumes of fixed price electricity into the market than we could independently," Contact CEO Mike Fuge said.
Campbell will join the board of Contact following the implementation of the scheme.
The two companies are targeting the scheme implementation in the first half of 2025, subject to approval by the New Zealand Commerce Commission.
"Manawa doesn't have much of a retail business so it (the deal) probably won't be a competition concern," added Atkins.
Manawa's 51% shareholder Infratil IFT.NZ extended its support for the proposed acquisition in a separate statement.
($1 = 1.6260 New Zealand dollars)
Reporting by Sherin Sunny and Aaditya Govind Rao in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona
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