Category: Chemcials

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Diversey Holdings sold for $4.6 billion

Diversey to be acquired by Solenis for $8.40 per share in cash

Solenis and Diversey Holdings (DSEY) announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Solenis will acquire Diversey in an all-cash transaction valued at an enterprise value of approximately $4.6B.

Diversey Holdings, Ltd. provides infection prevention and cleaning solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Institutional, and Food & Beverage. 

Upon completion of the merger, Diversey will become a private company.

Under the terms of the agreement, Diversey shareholders — other than shareholders affiliated with Bain Capital Private Equity — will receive $8.40 per share in cash, which represents a premium of approximately 41.0% over Diversey’s closing share price on March 7, 2023, the last full trading day prior to the transaction announcement, and a premium of approximately 59.0% over Diversey’s 90-day volume-weighted average price.

Bain Capital will receive $7.84 per share in cash and will rollover a portion of its shares of Diversey into an affiliate of Solenis in exchange for common and preferred units of such affiliate.

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Solenis is a manufacturer of specialty chemicals used in water-intensive industries, which was acquired by Platinum Equity in 2021.

“The merger presents a unique opportunity to enhance value and create a more diversified business with increased scale, broader global reach, and superior customer service capabilities. It will enable the combined company to grow and provide a number of attractive cross-selling opportunities, including meeting increasing customer demand for water management, cleaning and hygiene solutions,” said Phil Wieland, Chief Executive Officer of Diversey.

Solenis CEO John Panichella will lead the combined company following the transition and integration.

Diversey’s Board of Directors formed the Special Committee to evaluate and negotiate the transaction with the assistance of independent financial and legal advisors.

Following this process, the Special Committee unanimously determined that the transaction with Solenis is in the best interests of Diversey and its shareholders, and, acting upon unanimous recommendation by the Special Committee, the Diversey Board of Directors unanimously approved the merger and recommended that Diversey shareholders vote in favor of the merger.

The Special Committee negotiated the terms of the merger agreement with assistance from its independent financial and legal advisors.

In connection with the transaction, Solenis has entered into a support agreement with Bain Capital, pursuant to which Bain Capital has agreed to vote all of its Diversey shares — which represent approximately 73% of Diversey’s outstanding shares — in favor of the transaction, subject to certain terms and conditions set forth therein.

Solenis intends to finance the transaction with a combination of committed debt and equity financing, including the contribution by Bain Capital.

The merger is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by Diversey shareholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company and receipt of regulatory approvals.

Upon closing of the transaction, Diversey’s ordinary shares will no longer be listed on any public market.

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Rail Traffic Declines as Growth Slows!

North American rail traffic down 1% for the week ending September 17

The Association of American Railroads, AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 17. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 490,654 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.9% compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 17 were 239,528 carloads, up 2% compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 251,126 containers and trailers, down 7.3% compared to 2021.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021.

They included coal, up 3,948 carloads, to 72,774; nonmetallic minerals, up 2,491 carloads, to 35,163; and motor vehicles and parts, up 2,185 carloads, to 13,879.

Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2021 included metallic ores and metals, down 3,192 carloads, to 21,581; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,623 carloads, to 8,250; and forest products, down 1,362 carloads, to 9,076. North American rail volume for the week ending September 17, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 342,034 carloads, up 3.5% compared with the same week last year, and 341,595 intermodal units, down 4.7% compared with last year.

Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 683,629 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.8%.

North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2022 was 25,025,034 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.4% compared with 2021.

Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP) and Trinity Industries (TRN), Greenbrier (GBX), FreightCar America (RAIL) and Wabtec (WAB).

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Crane to split into two companies!

Crane plans to split into two independent public companies

Crane (CR) announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a plan to pursue a separation into two independent, publicly-traded companies to optimize investment and capital allocation, accelerate growth, and unlock shareholder value.

Upon completion, Crane Co.’s shareholders will benefit from ownership in two focused and simplified businesses that are both leaders in their respective industries and well-positioned for continued success:

Crane Co. will be a leading global provider of mission-critical, highly engineered products and solutions, with differentiated technology, respected brands, and leadership positions in its markets.

After the separation, Crane Co. will include the Aerospace & Electronics and Process Flow Technologies businesses.

This year, these businesses are expected to generate approximately $1.9B in annual sales with a pre-corporate Adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 18.5%.

The company will be well-positioned to accelerate organic growth in its large and attractive end markets, benefit from favorable secular trends, and apply its proven processes to drive growth through new product development and commercial excellence.

Richard Teller Crane, Founder of Crane Co.

Crane Co. is expected to have a strong, well-capitalized balance sheet underpinning a capital deployment strategy focused on supporting the company’s organic and inorganic strategic growth objectives, while providing a dividend in-line with peers.

Crane Co. will be led by Max Mitchell, who will continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer, with Rich Maue continuing to serve as Chief Financial Officer.

The company intends to continue to be listed on the NYSE under its current ticker symbol, “CR”.

Crane NXT will be a premier Industrial Technology business with substantial global scale, a best-in-class margin profile, and strong free cash flow generation.

This year, the Payment and Merchandising Technologies business that will become Crane NXT is expected to achieve approximately $1.4 billion in sales with a pre-corporate Adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 28%.

In addition to its market leading brands, Crane NXT will differentiate itself through its technology leadership, positioning it to leverage long-term secular drivers including automation, security and productivity, across several high-growth adjacent markets.

After the separation, Crane NXT will be positioned to drive earnings growth through continued investment in the business and value-enhancing bolt-on acquisitions. Its balance sheet and strong free cash flow will also allow it to support a robust and differentiated level of capital return to shareholders that is expected to include a competitive dividend.

Crane NXT’s shares are expected to be listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CXT”. A process is currently underway to identify Crane NXT’s chief executive, including evaluation of both internal and external candidates.

The executives currently leading Crane’s PMT business will continue to serve in senior positions with Crane NXT.

The separation is expected to occur through a tax-free distribution of the Aerospace & Electronics and Process Flow Technologies businesses to the Company’s shareholders.

Payment & Merchandising Technologies will be renamed Crane NXT concurrent with the separation, and the Aerospace & Electronics and Process Flow Technologies businesses will retain the Crane Co. name.

Upon completion of the separation, shareholders will own 100% of the equity in both of the publicly traded companies.

The separation is expected to be completed within approximately 12 months of this announcement, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions and final approval of the separation by Crane Co.’s Board of Directors. Shareholder approval is not required.

Crane Co. will maintain its current capital deployment policies until the separation is completed.

CR is up $2.50 to $112.63.

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Exxon gets into plastic recycling!

 Exxon Mobil announces plans to build plastic waste recycling facility

Exxon Mobil (XOM) plans to build its first, large-scale plastic waste advanced recycling facility in Baytown, Texas, and is expected to start operations by year-end 2022.

A smaller, temporary facility, is already operational and producing commercial volumes of certified circular polymers that will be marketed by the end of this year to meet growing demand.

The new facility follows validation of Exxon Mobil’s initial trial of its proprietary process for converting plastic waste into raw materials.

“We’ve proven our proprietary advanced recycling technology in Baytown, and we’re scaling up operations to supply certified circular polymers by year-end,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “Availability of reliable advanced recycling capacity will play an important role in helping address plastic waste in the environment, and we are evaluating wide-scale deployment in other locations around the world.”

To date, the trial has successfully recycled more than 1,000 metric tons of plastic waste, the equivalent of 200M grocery bags, and has demonstrated the capability of processing 50 metric tons per day.

Upon completion of the large-scale facility, the operation in Baytown will be among North America’s largest plastic waste recycling facilities and will have an initial planned capacity to recycle 30,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year.

Operational capacity could be expanded quickly if effective policy and regulations that recognize the lifecycle benefits of advanced recycling are implemented for residential and industrial plastic waste collection and sorting systems.

ExxonMobil is developing plans to build approximately 500,000 metric tons of advanced recycling capacity globally over the next five years.

In Europe, the company is collaborating with Plastic Energy on an advanced recycling plant in Notre Dame de Gravenchon, France, which is expected to process 25,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year when it starts up in 2023, with the potential for further expansion to 33,000 metric tons of annual capacity.

The company is also assessing sites in the Netherlands, the U.S. Gulf Coast, Canada, and Singapore.

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PolyOne buys Claiant’s color business for $1.45B

PolyOne acquires Clariant color and additive masterbatch business for $1.45B

PolyOne (POL) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Switzerland’s Clariant to purchase its global color and additive masterbatch business.

In addition, PolyOne has entered into an agreement with Clariant Chemicals India Ltd. to purchase its color and additive masterbatch business.

The combined net purchase price is $1.45B, representing an 11.1x multiple of last twelve months adjusted EBITDA, or 7.6x including anticipated synergies.

Polyone buys paint business of Clariant, Stockwinners

“This will be a truly transformational acquisition for both PolyOne and Clariant customers and employees around the world. Together, we will benefit from the combined ingenuity, passion and expertise of two global leaders in color design, additive technologies and sustainable solutions,” said Robert M. Patterson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, PolyOne Corporation.

Clariant’s color and additive masterbatch business, which had sales of $1.15 billion for the last twelve months, includes specialty technologies and solutions for high-growth global end markets, such as consumer, packaging, and healthcare.

Polyone buys Clariant’s color biz for $1.45B, Stockwinners

The Clariant business includes 46 manufacturing operations and technology centers in 29 countries and approximately 3,600 employees, who will join PolyOne’s Color, Additives and Inks segment.

PolyOne Corporation provides specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, and Asia. It operates in four segments: Color, Additives and Inks; Specialty Engineered Materials; Performance Products and Solutions; and Distribution. 

POL is up 0.89 to $36.86.

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Milacron sold for $2 billion

Hillenbrand to acquire Milacron in cash, stock deal valued around $2B

Milacron sold for $2 billion, Stockwinners

Hillenbrand (HI) and Milacron (MCRN) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Hillenbrand will acquire Milacron in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2B, including net debt of approximately $686M as of March 31.

Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, Milacron stockholders will receive $11.80 in cash and a fixed exchange ratio of 0.1612 shares of Hillenbrand common stock for each share of Milacron common stock they own.

Based on Hillenbrand’s closing stock price on July 11, the last trading day prior to the announcement, the implied cash and stock consideration to be received by Milacron stockholders is $18.07 per share, representing a premium of approximately 34% to Milacron’s closing stock price on July 11, and a premium of approximately 38% to Milacron’s 30-day volume-weighted average price as of the close on July 11.

Hillenbrand pays $2 billion to buy one of its suppliers, Stockwinners

Upon closing, Hillenbrand shareholders will own approximately 84% of the combined company, and Milacron stockholders will own approximately 16%.

Milacron will benefit from the Hillenbrand Operating Model, or HOM, and Hillenbrand expects to leverage Milacron’s global shared services center to drive operational efficiency.

The transaction is expected to generate annualized, run-rate cost synergies of approximately $50M within three years following close, primarily through reducing public company costs, realizing operating efficiencies, and capturing direct and indirect spend opportunities.

The transaction is also expected to generate revenue synergies, driven by opportunities to cross-sell extruder and material handling equipment, and to leverage the combined service footprint to further penetrate the product aftermarket.

These efficiencies will be driven across the combined organization through utilizing the HOM, while maintaining a commitment to serving customers with excellence and innovation.

The transaction, which is expected to close in Q1 of 2020, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, including the approval of stockholders of Milacron.

About the Companies

Hillenbrand, Inc. operates as a diversified industrial company in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Process Equipment Group and Batesville. The Process Equipment Group segment designs, engineers, manufactures, markets, and services process and material handling equipment and systems for various industries, including plastics, food and pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilizers, minerals and mining, energy, wastewater treatment, forest products, and other general industrials.

Milacron Holdings Corp. manufactures, distributes, and services engineered and customized systems within the plastic technology and processing industry in the United States and internationally. 

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Lord Corporation sold for $3.7 billion

Parker-Hannifin to acquire LORD Corporation for $3.7B in cash

Parker Hannifin to buy Lord Corp., Stockwinners

Parker Hannifin (PH) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire LORD Corporation for approximately $3.675B in cash.

The transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of each company and is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.

LORD, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, is a privately-held company founded in 1924 offering a broad array of advanced adhesives, coatings and specialty materials as well as vibration and motion control technologies.

Lord Corp. sold for $3.7 billion in cash, Stockwinners

LORD’s products are used in the aerospace, automotive and industrial markets. LORD has annual sales of approximately $1.1B and employs 3,100 team members across 17 manufacturing and 15 research and development facilities globally.

“This strategic transaction will reinforce our stated objective to invest in attractive margin, growth businesses, such as engineered materials, that accelerate us towards top-quartile financial performance,” said Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO of Parker.

“LORD will significantly expand our materials science capabilities with complementary products, better positioning us to serve customers in growth industries and capitalize on emerging trends such as electrification and lightweighting.

Upon closing of the transaction, LORD will be combined with Parker’s Engineered Materials Group.

Parker plans to finance the transaction using new debt.

Following the completion of the transaction, Parker expects to maintain a high investment grade credit profile.

The transaction is not expected to impact Parker’s dividend payout target averaging approximately 30-35% of net income over a five-year period, while maintaining its record of annual dividend increases.

The transaction is expected to be completed within the next four to six months and is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.

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Anadarko Petroleum sold for $50 billion

Chevron to acquire Anadarko for $65 per share or $33B


Anadarko sold for $50 billion, Stockwinners

Chevron Corporation (CVX) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Anadarko Petroleum (APC) to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Anadarko in a stock and cash transaction valued at $33B, or $65 per share.

Based on Chevron’s closing price on April 11, and under the terms of the agreement, Anadarko shareholders will receive 0.3869 shares of Chevron and $16.25 in cash for each Anadarko share.

Chevron sees synergies of $2 billion, Stockwinners

The total enterprise value of the transaction is $50B.

“The acquisition of Anadarko will significantly enhance Chevron’s already advantaged Upstream portfolio and further strengthen its leading positions in large, attractive shale, deepwater and natural gas resource basins.

Furthermore, Western Midstream Partners, LP (WES) is a successful midstream company whose assets are well aligned with the combined companies’ upstream positions, which should further enhance their economics and execution capabilities.”

Chevron’s Chairman and CEO Michael Wirth said, “This transaction builds strength on strength for Chevron. The combination of Anadarko’s premier, high-quality assets with our advantaged portfolio strengthens our leading position in the Permian, builds on our deepwater Gulf of Mexico capabilities and will grow our LNG business.

It creates attractive growth opportunities in areas that play to Chevron’s operational strengths and underscores our commitment to short-cycle, higher-return investments.

This transaction will unlock significant value for shareholders, generating anticipated annual run-rate synergies of approximately $2 billion, and will be accretive to free cash flow and earnings one year after close,” Wirth concluded.

“The strategic combination of Chevron and Anadarko will form a stronger and better company with world-class assets, people and opportunities,” said Anadarko Chairman and CEO Al Walker.

“I have tremendous respect for Mike and his leadership team and believe Chevron’s strategy, scale and operational capabilities will further accelerate the value of Anadarko’s assets.”

The acquisition consideration is structured as 75% stock and 25% cash, providing an overall value of $65 per share based on the closing price of Chevron (CVX) stock on April 11.

In aggregate, upon closing of the transaction, Chevron will issue approximately 200M shares of stock and pay approximately $8B in cash. Chevron will also assume estimated net debt of $15B.

Total enterprise value of $50B includes the assumption of net debt and book value of non-controlling interest.

The transaction has been approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close in the second half of the year. The acquisition is subject to Anadarko (APC) shareholder approval. It is also subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Upon closing, the company will continue be led by Michael Wirth as chairman and CEO. Chevron will remain headquartered in San Ramon, California.

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Rig counts rise!

Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 2 to 1,051 rigs

The international offshore rig count for April 2018 was 194. Stockwinners
The U.S. rig count rises to 1,051

Baker Hughes (BHGE) reports that the U.S. rig count is up 2 rigs from last week to 1,051 rigs, with oil rigs up 3 to 857 and gas rigs down 1 to 194.

The U.S. Rig Count is up 76 rigs from last year’s count of 975, with oil rigs up 59 and gas rigs up 17.

The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is up 2 rigs to 21 and up 3 rigs year-over-year.

The Canada Rig Count is down 16 rigs from last week to 224, with oil rigs down 6 to 152 and gas rigs down 10 to 72.

The Canada Rig Count is down 94 rigs from last year’s count of 318, with oil rigs down 66 and gas rigs down 28.

USO is up 12 cents to $11.60.

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Barrick Gold acquires Randgold

Barrick acquires Randgold in all-stock deal, sees ‘industry-leading’ company

Barrick Gold acquires Randgold, Stockwinners
Barrick Gold acquires Randgold, Stockwinners

Barrick Gold (ABX) announced that it has reached agreement on the terms of a recommended share-for-share merger of Barrick and Randgold Resources Limited (GOLD).

The merger is subject to approval by both sets of shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

It is intended that the merger will be implemented by means of a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement of Randgold Resources and the Randgold shareholders under Article 125 of the companies Law 1991, with the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Randgold being acquired by Barrick.

Under the terms of the merger, each Randgold shareholder will receive 6.1280 new Barrick shares for each Randgold share.

Following completion of the merger, Barrick shareholders will own approximately 66.6% and Randgold shareholders will own approximately 33.4% of the new Barrick Group on a fully-diluted basis.

The company said, “The Merger will create an industry-leading gold company with the greatest concentration of Tier One Gold Assets in the industry, led by a proven management team of owners. Superior operating metrics, including the highest Adjusted EBITDA margin and the lowest total cash cost position among Senior Gold Peers, will support sustainable investment in growth and shareholder returns.”

The merger is expected to close by Q1 2019.

Following completion of the merger: John Thornton, Executive Chairman of Barrick, will become Executive Chairman of the New Barrick Group; Mark Bristow, Chief Executive Officer of Randgold, will become President and Chief Executive Officer of the new Barrick Group; Graham Shuttleworth, Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer of Randgold, will become Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the new Barrick Group; Kevin Thomson, Senior Executive Vice President, Strategic Matters of Barrick, will become Senior Executive Vice President, Strategic Matters of the new Barrick Group; Two-thirds of the directors of the board of the new Barrick Group will be nominated by Barrick, and one-third will be nominated by Randgold.

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Engility Holdings sold for $2.5 billion

SAIC to acquire Engility in all-stock deal valued at $2.5B

Engility Holdings sold for $2.5 billion, Stockwinners
Engility Holdings sold for $2.5 billion, Stockwinners

SAIC (SAIC) and Engility Holdings (EGL) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which SAIC will acquire Engility in an all-stock transaction valued at $2.5B, $2.25B net of the present value of tax assets, creating the second largest independent technology integrator in government services with $6.5B of pro-forma last 12 months’ revenue.

The combination of these two complementary businesses will accelerate SAIC’s growth strategy into key markets, enhance its competitive position and provide significant financial benefits.

The transaction will create market sub-segment scale in strategic business areas of national interest, such as defense, federal civilian agencies, intelligence, and space.

In addition, it expands the capabilities of both companies, bringing additional systems engineering, mission, and IT capabilities to a broader base of customers.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Engility stockholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.450 shares of SAIC common stock for each share of Engility stock in an all-stock transaction.

Based on an SAIC per share closing price of $89.86 on September 7, 2018, the transaction is valued at $40.44 per share of Engility common stock or $2.5B in the aggregate, including the repayment of $900M in Engility’s debt.

SAIC has obtained a financing commitment letter from Citigroup Global Markets Inc. for a new seven-year senior secured $1.05B term loan facility under our existing credit agreement.

The proceeds will be used to repay Engility’s existing debt and associated fees. SAIC expects no immediate change to its quarterly cash dividend as a result of this transaction.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the fiscal fourth quarter ending February 1, 2019, following customary closing conditions, including regulatory and SAIC and Engility shareholder approvals.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by both boards.

The businesses will continue to operate separately until the transaction closes. The combined company will retain the SAIC name and continue to be headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Following closing, Tony Moraco will continue as CEO and as an SAIC board member. SAIC will expand its board to include two additional members from Engility’s board.

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Ocean Rig sold for $2.7B

Transocean to acquire Ocean Rig for $2.7B including debt

 

Ocean Rig sold for $2.7B, Stockwinners
Ocean Rig sold for $2.7B, Stockwinners

Transocean (RIG) and Ocean Rig UDW Inc. (ORIG) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Transocean will acquire Ocean Rig in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2.7B, inclusive of Ocean Rig’s net debt..

The transaction consideration is comprised of 1.6128 newly issued shares of Transocean plus $12.75 in cash for each share of Ocean Rig’s common stock, for a total implied value of $32.28 per Ocean Rig share, based on the closing price on August 31, 2018.

This represents a 20.4% premium to Ocean Rig’s ten-day volume weighted average share price.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company.

Transocean intends to fund the cash portion of the transaction consideration through a combination of cash on hand and fully committed financing provided by Citi.

The merger is not subject to any financing condition. Upon completion of the merger, Transocean’s and Ocean Rig’s shareholders will own approximately 79% and approximately 21%, respectively, of the combined company.

No changes to Transocean’s board of directors, executive management team, or corporate structure are anticipated as a result of the acquisition.

The Company will remain headquartered in Steinhausen, Switzerland, with significant operating presence in Houston, Texas, Aberdeen, Scotland and Stavanger, Norway.

The transaction, which is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2019, is subject to the approval of both Transocean and Ocean Rig shareholders and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals.

The merger is not subject to any financing condition.

Also, consistent with the Company’s strategy of recycling less competitive rigs, Transocean will retire two of its floaters, the ultra-deepwater drillship C.R. Luigs and the midwater floater Songa Delta.

The rigs will be classified as held for sale and will be recycled in an environmentally responsible manner. Both floaters are currently stacked.

Transocean anticipates re-ranking the combined fleet, which may result in additional rigs being recycled.

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KMG Chemicals sold for $1.6B

Cabot Microelectronics to acquire KMG Chemicals for $1.6B

KMG Chemicals sold for $1.6B, Stockwinners
KMG Chemicals sold for $1.6B, Stockwinners

Cabot Microelectronics (CCMP) and KMG Chemicals (KMG), a global provider of specialty chemicals and performance materials, have entered into a definitive agreement under which Cabot Microelectronics will acquire KMG in a cash and stock transaction with a total enterprise value of approximately $1.6B.

Under the terms of the agreement, KMG shareholders will be entitled to receive, per KMG share, $55.65 in cash and 0.2000 of a share of Cabot Microelectronics common stock, which represents an implied per share value of $79.50 based on the volume weighted average closing price of Cabot Microelectronics common stock over the 20-day trading period ended on August 13.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of both companies and is expected to close near the end of calendar year 2018.

The combined company is expected to have annual revenues of approximately $1B and approximately $320M in EBITDA, including synergies, extending and strengthening Cabot Microelectronics’ position.

The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including HSR clearance and approval by KMG shareholders.

Cabot Microelectronics expects to finance the cash portion of the transaction consideration through a combination of existing cash and additional debt supported by commitments from its key lenders.

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Scotts Miracle-Gro dragged down by Bayer woes

Bayer drags Scotts Miracle-Gro down after Monsanto weed killer ruling

Scotts Miracle-Gro dragged down by Bayer woes, Stockwinners
Scotts Miracle-Gro dragged down by Bayer woes, Stockwinners

Shares of Bayer (BAYRY) trading in New York are sliding after the recently acquired Monsanto was ordered to pay $289M by a California court, who found it liable in a lawsuit alleging that the company’s Roundup caused cancer.

Commenting on the news, JPMorgan analyst Richard Vosser told investors that the selloff in the shares is “significantly overdone” as he sees the potential for the verdict to be overturned on appeal and for the damage amount to be greatly reduced.

Meanwhile, his peer at Bank of America Merrill Lynch argued that the ruling adds cloud over an important product for Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG).

ROUNDUP RULING

Last week, a jury found Monsanto, which was recently acquired by Bayer for $63B, liable in a lawsuit alleging that the company’s glyphosate-based weedkillers, including its Roundup brand, caused cancer.

The case against Monsanto is the first of more than 5,000 similar lawsuits across the U.S.

The jury at San Francisco’s Superior Court of California found that Monsanto had failed to warn school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson and other consumers of the cancer risks posed by its weed killers, and awarded Johnson $250M in punitive damages and about $39M in compensatory damages.

Monsanto, which plans to appeal the verdict, has denied that glyphosate causes cancer and has contended that decades of scientific studies have shown the chemical to be safe for human use.

SELLOFF ‘SIGNIFICANTLY OVERDONE’

In a research note to investors, JPMorgan’s Vosser said he views the selloff in shares of Bayer after a California jury ordered the company’s Monsanto unit to pay $289M for not warning of cancer risks posed by its weed killer, Roundup, as “significantly overdone.”

The analyst added that he sees the potential for the verdict to be overturned on appeal and for the damage amount to be greatly reduced. Overall, Vosser believes current share levels of Bayer provide a good long-term buying opportunity and reiterated an Overweight rating on the name.

RULING ‘ADDS CLOUD’ OVER IMPORTANT PRODUCT

Also commenting on the California court’s ruling, BofA/Merrill analyst Christopher Carey pointed out in a research note of his own that while the product is owned by Monsanto, Scotts Miracle-Gro is the exclusive distributor/marketer of consumer Roundup in the U.S. and Canada, with the brand on track to be about 15% to FY18 profit, but less in FY19 as a 3-year term for $20M annual payments from Monsanto ends in FY18.

Carey noted that he does not expect a ban of glyphosate, but argued that the court decision nevertheless “adds a cloud” over a product which is important for Scotts Miracle-Gro.

While any additional impact from Roundup is unclear, this adds another layer to risks, he contended, highlighting that the company already must overcome a number of headwinds in 2019.

The analyst reiterated an Underperform rating and $74 price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro’s shares. Meanwhile, his peer at SunTrust told investors that there is likely no legal risk to Scotts Miracle-Gro from Friday’s jury verdict in California.

As part of the master agreement between Scotts and Monsanto signed three years ago, Scotts is indemnified from any litigation relating to the Roundup/glyphosate issue, analyst William Chappell pointed out.

Further, the analyst noted that the company is not listed as a defendant in any of the cases filed against Monsanto.

Nevertheless, Chappell estimates that Roundup represents roughly 10% of Scotts’ EBITDA, and believes sales could be impacted over the long-term from these trials.

The analyst reiterated a Buy rating and $100 price target on Scotts Miracle-Gro’s shares.

PRICE ACTION

In Monday morning trading, shares of Bayer in New York have dropped over 10% to $23.75, while Scotts Miracle-Gro’s stock has slipped 2.25% to $73.65.

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Aegean Marine to acquire H.E.C. Europe for $367M

Aegean Marine to acquire H.E.C. Europe for approximately $367M

Aegean Marine to acquire H.E.C. Europe for $367M. Stockwinners.com
Aegean Marine to acquire H.E.C. Europe for $367M.

Aegean Marine (ANW) is pleased to announce that today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of H.E.C. Europe Limited, the parent company of Hellenic Environmental Center S.A. and a group of companies that together provide global port reception facilities services, from the shareholders of H.E.C., for aggregate consideration of approximately $367M, including the assumption of certain indebtedness, which consideration is payable in the form of a combination of debt, the assignment of certain accounts receivables, cash and shares of Aegean common stock, which will represent approximately 33% of the issued and outstanding common stock of Aegean after giving effect to the issuance.

The Sellers are companies owned and controlled by Dimitris Melisanidis and certain members of his family, and members of the Agiostratitis family.

Aegean expects the acquisition, which results from several months of negotiations, to be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings per share in year one.

The acquisition was unanimously approved by the Aegean Board upon the recommendation of a special committee of independent directors. In making its recommendation, the Special Independent Committee consulted with its independent financial advisor, Clarksons Platou Securities and outside legal counsel.

The acquisition does not require the approval of Aegean’s shareholders. Aegean expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to adjusted EPS in year one. Post-closing of the transaction, expected additional 2018E Revenues will amount to approximately $60M-$65M and 2018E EBITDA will amount to approximately $35M-$40M, which assumes timely closing of the transaction and completion of targeted acquisitions in 2018.

In addition, Aegean expects to appoint one additional independent director to the Aegean Board, effective as of the closing of the acquisition, creating an eight member Board of Directors.

ANW closed at $4.45.

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