2nd UPDATE: ArcelorMittal, Peabody Secure 59.85% In Macarthur Coal
October 24 2011 - 10:22AM
Dow Jones News
The world's largest private coal miner and steelmaker by output
Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU) and ArcelorMittal (MT) Monday said they
secured a 59.85% stake in Australian coking coal miner Macarthur
Coal Ltd. (MCC.AU) and as a result has made its offer
unconditional.
PEAMCoal Pty Ltd., the suitors' joint-venture body, said in a
statement that it is offering to pay A$16 for each share of
Macarthur and will raise its offer to A$16.25 if it manages to get
at least 90% of the company by Nov. 11.
The raised cash offer would increase Macarthur's equity value to
A$4.91 billion ($5.1 billion) from A$4.8 billion under the current
offer.
"We encourage remaining Macarthur shareholders to accept without
delay and improve their chances of receiving the premium A$16.25
per share price, should we reach the 90% compulsory acquisition
threshold," Aditya Mittal, ArcelorMittal's Chief Financial Officer
said in a statement.
ArcelorMittal, which already owned 16.1% of Macarthur prior to
the takeover bid launch, wants to gain further control of the
Australian miner as it seeks to increase its self-sufficiency in
steelmaking raw materials such iron ore and coal.
Macarthur is the world's biggest miner by output of pulverized
coking coal, a low-cost raw material used to make steel and has
benefited from China and other emerging countries' robust demand
for steelmaking raw ingredients as they continue to undergo a rapid
pace of industrialization and urbanization.
The current deal also ends Peabody's 19-month quest for majority
control of Macarthur, which is located close to key coal consuming
growth regions such as China. It also further increases the
consolidation of the coal sector in Australia, the world's largest
exporter of the commodity.
ArcelorMittal and Peabody had moved to buy Macarthur in July
after Peabody had tried unsuccessfully on its own to purchase the
coal miner. The two companies had originally offered to pay A$15 a
share of Macarthur but raised it to A$16.
Macarthur's largest shareholder, Chinese state-owned investment
group CITIC Group, Friday said it would tender its 16.34% stake to
the ArcelorMittal and Peabody offer.
-By Inti Landauro and Alex MacDonald, Dow Jones Newswires; +44
(0)207 842 9328; alex.macdonald@dowjones.com (David Fickling in
Sydney contributed to this article.)
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