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APMH Invest makes all-cash voluntary recommended purchase offer for Svitzer

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Svitzer Group A/S
Svitzer Group A/S

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

A.P. Møller Holding A/S (APMH) has today, through its wholly owned subsidiary APMH Invest A/S (APMHI), made an all-cash voluntary recommended purchase offer to the shareholders of Svitzer Group A/S (Svitzer) to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Svitzer, excluding any Svitzer treasury shares and shares held by APMHI (the Offer). APMHI has also today published an offer document (the Offer Document) with detailed information about the Offer, including the terms and conditions of the Offer. The Offer Document is, subject to certain restrictions, available at https://investor.svitzer.com/voluntary-offer.

APMH, through its wholly owned subsidiary APMHI, currently owns 47% of the share capital and voting rights of Svitzer.

After carefully considering the Offer, including alternative options for shareholders to realise value for their shares, the independent members of Svitzer’s Board of Directors (the Independent Directors)1 unanimously recommend shareholders in Svitzer to accept the Offer as described in the Independent Directors' statement concerning the Offer (the Independent Directors' Statement) published by Svitzer today concurrently with this announcement.

Shareholders of Svitzer are advised to read the Offer Document and Independent Directors' Statement in their entirety before deciding whether to accept the Offer.

Key terms of the Offer

  • APMHI offers the shareholders of Svitzer a cash consideration of DKK 285 per share, subject to adjustment for any dividend or other distributions paid by Svitzer prior to completion of the Offer (the Offer Price), including the ordinary dividend of DKK 8.00 per share proposed by Svitzer’s Board of Directors for resolution at Svitzer’s annual general meeting on 10 April 2025 (the 2025 Ordinary Dividend). Subject to the 2025 Ordinary Dividend being the only such distribution to the shareholders, the Offer Price will be reduced by DKK 8.00 per share to DKK 277 per share.

  • The Offer Price of DKK 285 values Svitzer's total share capital at approx. DKK 9.0 billion and represents:

    • a premium of approx. 31.7% compared to the closing share price of DKK 216.4 on Nasdaq Copenhagen on 1 April 2025, which is the last day of trading prior to publication of the Offer Document;

    • a premium of approx. 31.3% compared to the volume-weighted average share price of DKK 217.1 in the three-month period from 2 January 2025 to 1 April 2025;

    • a premium of approx. 42.5% compared to the opening share price of DKK 200 on the first day of trading (30 April 2024); and

    • a premium in line with the average premiums for comparable transactions involving a tender offer for shares in listed companies made by a controlling shareholder.

  • Having carefully considered the Offer, including alternative options for shareholders to realise value for their shares and taking into account, among other factors, the Fairness Opinion (as defined below), the Independent Directors unanimously recommend that the shareholders of Svitzer accept the Offer.

  • APMHI has in the Offer Document stated that A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine McKinney Møllers Familiefond (the Family Foundation) and Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond (the Relief Foundation) have, subject to certain customary conditions, signed irrevocable undertakings to accept the Offer in respect of shares accounting for 9.9% and 4.1%, respectively, of the share capital and voting rights of Svitzer.

  • As of today, APMHI holds 14,821,333 shares in Svitzer, corresponding to 47.0% of the share capital and voting rights of Svitzer. APMHI has in the Offer Document stated that it considers itself a long-term investor in Svitzer and that it has no intention to sell or otherwise dispose of its shares in Svitzer, irrespective of whether a competing offer, if any, is published. Including the irrevocable undertakings given by the Family Foundation and the Relief Foundation, APMHI has secured support of the Offer from a total of approx. 61.0% of the share capital and voting rights of Svitzer.

  • The Offer is subject to a number of customary conditions, including APMHI owning or having received valid acceptances from shareholders with respect to shares representing in aggregate more than 90% of the share capital and voting rights of Svitzer (excluding any Svitzer treasury shares), absence of material adverse change and obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals and clearances from the Swedish Inspectorate of Strategic Products and the Secretary of State in the United Kingdom. APMHI has in the Offer Document stated that it will use reasonable commercial efforts and act in good faith with a view to ensuring that APMHI obtains the necessary regulatory approvals and clearances.

  • As APMHI is already a controlling shareholder in Svitzer, the Offer is an unregulated voluntary purchase offer, and the Independent Directors have focused on ensuring that Svitzer's shareholders in connection with the Offer are offered substantially the same material legal protections as would have been afforded them had the Offer been regulated. APMHI has e.g. in the Offer Document stated that APMHI is committed to ensuring equal treatment of the Shareholders.

  • If, upon completion of the Offer, APMHI holds more than 90% of the share capital and voting rights of Svitzer (excluding any Svitzer treasury shares), APMHI intends to initiate and complete a compulsory acquisition of Svitzer’s remaining shares in accordance with the rules of the Danish Companies Act.

  • If, upon completion of the Offer, APMHI obtains the number of shares necessary to initiate a delisting, APMHI intends to request that the Svitzer shares be removed from trading and official listing on Nasdaq Copenhagen.

  • APMHI expects the Offer to be completed on or around 2 May 2025 with settlement on that date and pay date expected on 6 May 2025.