Fnac Darty, Kretinsky offer to buy Italy's Unieuro for around $270 mln
Corrects CEO quote in 4th paragraph to say "several weeks" not "a couple of weeks"
Offers 12 euros per share in cash and stock
Aims to create company with over 10 bln euros in annual sales
Unieuro's shares soar 36%, board "takes note" of proposal
By Olivier Sorgho
July 17 (Reuters) -French retailer Fnac Darty FNAC.PA on Tuesday offered to buy Italy's Unieuro UNIR.MI for around 249 million euros ($271 million) to create a market leader in consumer electronics and domestic appliances in southern and western Europe.
It offered 12 euros per share in cash and shares for the Italian consumer electronics distributor in a joint offer made with Ruby Equity Investment.
Ruby is an affiliate of Vesa Equity Investment, Fnac's top shareholder controlled by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who is vying to expand his sprawling empire of investments ranging from media to retail and football.
"We've sent an offer today, to the board, to submit to all the shareholders ... We don't know what will be the outcome or the response from them," Fnac Darty CEO Enrique Martinez said on a call on Tuesday, adding Unieuro had "several weeks"to consider the offer.
Unieuro's shares jumped 36% on Wednesday to 11.28 euros, nearly matching the offer price. It said its board had taken note of the proposal and would respond in due course.
Iliad, Unieuro's biggest shareholder, did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Fnac Darty said the merged company would aim for over 10 billion euros ($10.94 billion) in annual sales, and have around 30,000 employees as well as more than 1,500 stores.
"Our geographical presence would be significantly expanded, and we would support Unieuro in continuing its digitalization and transformation towards more services," Martinez added in a statement.
Fnac Darty said it expected the deal to deliver over 20 million euros of benefits before taxes, primarily from improved buying terms, and to boost earnings per share by more than 10% from 2025.
It expects the offer to close in the fourth quarter.
Midcap Partners analysts said the news had invigorated a retail market after several stagnant months.
"On paper, this acquisition appears to be a strategic fit and allows the group to strengthen its position in Italy with a reasonable valuation," they wrote in a note.
The offer comprises 9 euros per share in cash, funded two- thirds by Ruby Equity Investment and one-third by Fnac Darty, plus 0.1 new Fnac Darty share for each Unieuro share.
That would see the French retailer issue around 2 million shares, or about 6.6% of its share capital post-transaction.
($1 = 0.9142 euros)
Reporting by Olivier Sorgho, Elisa Anzolin, and Matthias Inverardi; Editing by MarkPotter and Kim Coghill
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
