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Legg Mason sold for $6.5B including debt assumption

Franklin Templeton to acquire Legg Mason for $50.00 per share in cash

Franklin Resources (BEN) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Legg Mason (LM) for $50.00 per share of common stock in an all-cash transaction.

The company will also assume approximately $2B of Legg Mason’s outstanding debt.

Franklin Templeton buys Legg Mason for $4.5B, Stockwinners

The acquisition of Legg Mason and its multiple investment affiliates, which collectively manage over $806 billion in assets as of January 31, will establish Franklin Templeton as one of the world’s largest independent, specialized global investment managers with a combined $1.5 trillion in assets under management, or AUM, across one of the broadest ranges of high-quality investment teams in the industry.

Legg Mason sold for $4.5B cash and $2B debt assumptions, Stockwinners

The combined footprint of the organization will significantly deepen Franklin Templeton’s presence in key geographies and create an expansive investment platform that is well balanced between institutional and retail client AUM.

In addition, the combined platform creates a strong separately managed account business. Trian Fund Management, L.P. and funds managed by it, which collectively own approximately 4 million shares or 4.5% of the outstanding stock of Legg Mason, have entered into a voting agreement in support of the transaction.

With this acquisition, Franklin Templeton will preserve the autonomy of Legg Mason’s affiliates, ensuring that their investment philosophies, processes and brands remain unchanged.

As with any acquisition, the pending integration of Legg Mason’s parent company into Franklin Templeton’s, including the global distribution operations at the parent company level, will take time and only commence after careful and deliberate consideration.

Following the closing of the transaction, Jenny Johnson will continue to serve as president and CEO, and Greg Johnson will continue to serve as executive chairman of the Board of Franklin Resources, Inc.

There will be no changes to the senior management teams of Legg Mason’s investment affiliates.

Global headquarters will remain in San Mateo, CA and the combined firm will operate as Franklin Templeton.

The all-cash consideration of $4.5 billion will be funded from the Company’s existing balance sheet cash.

Franklin Templeton will also assume approximately $2 billion in Legg Mason’s outstanding debt.

Upon closing of the transaction, Franklin Templeton expects to maintain a robust balance sheet and considerable financial flexibility with pro forma gross debt of approximately $2.7 billion with remaining cash and investments of approximately $5.3 billion.

This transaction is designed to preserve the Company’s financial strength and stability with modest leverage, significant liquidity and strong cash flow to provide ongoing flexibility to invest in further growth and innovation.

This transaction is expected to generate upper twenties percentage GAAP EPS accretion in Fiscal 2021 (based on street consensus earnings estimates for each company), excluding one-time charges, non-recurring and acquisition related expenses.

While cost synergies have not been a strategic driver of the transaction, there are opportunities to realize efficiencies through parent company rationalization and global distribution optimization.

These are expected to result in approximately $200 million in annual cost savings, net of significant growth investments Franklin Templeton expects to make in the combined business and in addition to Legg Mason’s previously announced cost savings.

The majority of these savings are expected to be realized within a year, following the close of the transaction, with the remaining synergies being realized over the next one to two years.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of Franklin Resources, Inc. and Legg Mason, Inc.

This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and approval by Legg Mason’s shareholders, and is expected to close no later than the third calendar quarter of 2020.

LM closed at $40.72. BEN closed at $24.36.

STOCKWINNERS

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This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility.



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Pancreatic cancer data sends shares of Tyme Technologies higher

Tyme Technologies presents updated data from TYME-88-Panc Phase II study

Tyme Techs. shares jump of data, Stockwinners

Tyme Technologies (TYME) announced that its multicenter open-label Phase II TYME-88-Panc study evaluating SM-88 as an oral monotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer continues to demonstrate encouraging results and a well-tolerated safety profile.

The data from the TYME-88-Panc study were presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology 21st World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.

The Annual meeting is held in Barcelona this year, Stockwinners

Updated results from the ongoing multicenter open-label Phase II TYME-88-Panc study involved 49 heavily pretreated patients with radiographically progressive metastatic pancreatic cancer who had significant disease related morbidity before receiving TYME’s investigational agent SM-88.

More than 80% of patients had received at least two prior lines of therapy. Of the 49 patients, 38 patients were evaluable for efficacy, as defined in the protocol.

Pancreatic cancer, Stockwinners

TYME-88-Panc is a two-part study in which Part 1 was intended to determine optimal dosing and assess if early clinical benefit supported further development of SM-88 in pancreatic cancer.

This study is being performed under a TYME IND with input from the FDA prior to study initiation. In this study, based on information available as of April 25, 2019, the median overall survival of evaluable patients was 6.4 months.

Certain efficacy indicators correlate A RECIST clinical benefit rate of stable disease or better was achieved by 44% of patients with available imaging. Notably, patients achieving stable disease or better demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in survival with a 92% reduction in risk of death.

The CBR was durable with majority of these patients remaining in stable disease or better at more than 7 months after receiving treatment with SM-88.

The measurement of CTCs is emerging as an important prognostic indicator in patients with pancreatic cancer. This is now the second TYME study in cancer patients showing that SM-88 reduces CTCs.

In a previous study of patients with prostate cancer, SM-88 treatment was also associated with a reduction in CTC count. In the TYME-88-Panc study, a median reduction of 63% in CTC burden was observed in evaluable patients. Importantly, patients with available results reaching an 80% reduction or greater in CTCs demonstrated a 60% decrease in risk of death.

In addition to these findings from the TYME-88-Panc study, data were also presented on subgroup analyses. TYME identified several screening criteria that were associated with rapidly declining prognostic factors defined as greater than 2 lines of prior therapy; age greater than 75 years old; albumin less than 3.5 g/dl. Patients with no indicators of poor prognosis had a better trend in survival.

TYME identified key sub-groups of patients who performed better. Patients with 1 or 2 prior lines of therapy had a better trend in survival. Female patients had a statistically significant trend toward better survival. These encouraging findings warrant further clinical evaluation of these subgroups. As of April 25, 2019, the study reported that SM-88 was well tolerated with only 4.0% of patients who experienced serious adverse events deemed at least possibly related to SM-88. One patient with reported SAEs continued on treatment.

The TYME-88-Panc research results are from an investigational study. SM-88 is not approved for the treatment of patients with any disease condition.

TYME is up 30 cents to $1.52.

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Circor receives $1.7B takeover offer

Crane proposes to acquire Circor for $45.00 per share in cash

Crane proposes to acquire Circor for $45.00 per share in cash, Stockwinners

Crane Co. (CR) announced that it has submitted a proposal to the Board of Directors of CIRCOR International (CIR) to acquire CIRCOR for $45 per share in cash.

CIRCOR International, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets engineered products and sub-systems worldwide. It operates through three segments: Energy, Aerospace and Defense, and Industrial. 

The proposal represents a 47% premium over yesterday’s closing price and a 37% and 51% premium over a three- and six-month volume weighted average share price, respectively.

This reflects an enterprise value of approximately $1.7B at a multiple of approximately 13.5x the last 12-month adjusted EBITDA. Crane Co. proposed the all-cash transaction to CIRCOR’s President and CEO Scott Buckhout on April 30, the terms of which were confirmed by a letter to the CIRCOR Board of Directors.

On May 13, the CIRCOR Board summarily rejected Crane Co.’s proposal with no offer of discussions or due diligence.

“While we had hoped to complete a transaction privately, the Board’s rejection of our proposal without comment or discussion led to our decision to make our proposal known to CIRCOR shareholders so they can express their views directly to the CIRCOR Board,” said Max Mitchell, Crane Co. President and CEO.

“Our proposal provides CIRCOR shareholders with attractive value and certainty compared to the continued uncertainty surrounding CIRCOR’s plans to improve operating performance.

Based on CIRCOR’s history of underperformance and inability to meet its own financial targets, we believe CIRCOR’s standalone plan is unlikely to generate value comparable to what we are proposing.”

Mitchell continued, “We believe that this business, which has great brands and products, has been meaningfully undermanaged for years.

This has resulted in a persistent decline in CIRCOR’s share price, making it the worst performer of the peers in the S&P Midcap Capital Goods Index since the end of 2013.

Based upon the strength of our disciplined operating approach, Crane Co. is well positioned to integrate CIRCOR’s businesses into our focused portfolio, realize operational synergies, and deliver long-term value to Crane shareholders.

Combining CIRCOR’s Fluid Handling, Aerospace and Defense assets with Crane’s portfolio of leading brands would create a stronger competitor with additional scale and growth potential.”

CIR +13.49 to $44.15.

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This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility.

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CytomX Therapeutics shares jump following Amgen investment

Amgen will make an upfront payment of $40 million and purchase $20 million of CytomX shares.

CytomX Therapeutics shares jump following Amgen investment. See Stockwinners.com for details

CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., (CTMX) announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with Amgen (AMGN) in immuno-oncology.

The companies will co-develop a CytomX Probody™ T-cell engaging bispecific against the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), a highly validated oncology target expressed on multiple human cancer types.

Probody T-cell engaging bispecifics are antibody constructs capable of directing cytotoxic T-cells in tumor microenvironments.

In preclinical studies, CytomX’s Probody versions of EGFRxCD3 bispecific therapeutics induced tumor regressions and increased the therapeutic window for this high potential cancer target.

CytomX will be eligible to receive up to $455 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestones for the EGFR program.

Under the terms of the agreement, Amgen and #CytomX will co-develop a Probody T-cell engaging bispecific against #EGFRxCD3 with CytomX leading early development.

Amgen will lead global commercial activities with CytomX able to opt into a profit share in the U.S. and receive tiered, double-digit royalties on net product sales outside of the U.S.

Amgen will also receive exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize up to three additional, undisclosed targets.

Should Amgen ultimately pursue all of these targets, CytomX will be eligible to receive up to $950 million in additional upfront and milestone payments and high single-digit to mid-double digit royalty payments on any resulting products.

PRICE ACTION

CTMX closed at $19.00. Shares have a 52-week trading range of  $9.85 – $20.02. Shares last traded at $25.75 in extended trading. AMGN closed at $187.23.

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This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility.

 

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