EON Capital's board accepts Hong Leong offer

As what i've expected earlier in my post that, the take over would likely to go through between HLBANK & EONCAP. HLBANK would likely to offer right issue to raise fund for the acquisition, in my opinion RI for such an exercise is worth taking up for those existing HLBANK shareholders.

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KUALA LUMPUR: EON Capital Bhd's board of directors has accepted Hong Leong Bank Bhd's offer to acquire the former's assets and liabilities for a cash consideration of RM5.06bil or RM7.30 per share.

MIMB Investment Bank Bhd said on behalf of the board that this was after taking into consideration Credit Suisse Securities (M) Sdn Bhd's opinion that the offer was not fair from a financial perspective.

Credit Suisse was appointed as the independent adviser for the deal.

MIMB also said EON Capital's board member Ng Wing Fai's views would also be included in a circular to shareholders for the upcoming EGM.

Ng, whose Primus Pacific Partners (HK) Ltd held a 20.2% stake in EON Capital, has expressed disagreement with the board over the offer.

The investment bank said after taking into consideration Credit Suisse's opinion, the advice of the international adviser Goldman Sachs and all relevant aspects of the offer, the board has resolved that the proposed disposal was in the best interest of the bank.

It said the board would table a resolution at the EGM on the proposed disposal as well as the proposed distribution of the cash proceeds to shareholders.

MIMB said the proposed distribution of the cash proceeds arising from the disposal would be done in two parts - a special dividend estimated to be about RM3.30 billion based on EON Capital's audited financial statements as at December 31, 2009 and, a capital reduction exercise amounting to RM1.76bil.

HLBANK to takeover EONCAP ?

My gut feeling telling me that the deal will go through eventually no matter how. The reasons are simple, there being no other bidder on the table and the big boys are eagerly wanting to liquidate.

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Credit Suisse says HLB's offer price for EON Cap too low

PETALING JAYA: Credit Suisse Securities (M) Sdn Bhd has deemed Hong Leong Bank Bhd's (HLB) offer price for the assets and liabilities of EON Capital Bhd (EON Cap) too low.

This has put the board of directors of EON Cap in a quandary, sources said. EON Cap's board met yesterday to discuss Credit Suisse's opinion on the offer.

The board had requested for its shares to be suspended from trading, pending an announcement related to the offer.

EON Cap said late yesterday evening that its board meeting had been adjourned “pending further clarification from independent financial adviser Credit Suisse.”

But a party familiar with the deal said with Credit Suisse telling the board that the offer was too low, the board has been put in a tough spot as to what to tell shareholders.

“The board had already said it was going to present the offer to shareholders. Does it now also tell shareholders not to accept the offer?” Sources say the situation is tenuous because HLB has no intention of raising its bid.

From its due diligence of EON Cap, HLB may be inclined to ask EON Cap to make some additional provisioning as a condition to the deal, stemming from what it (HLB) deems as unrecoverable loans.

This could mean that the price HLB is willing to pay for EON Cap may be lower than the RM7.20 per share it last made.

EON Cap is said to be disappointed that HLB has not recognised certain deferred tax assets in its valuation of the former, sources say.

HLB's offer is also priced at around 1.4 times the book value of EON Bank, which some analysts deem as low in light of other banking merger and acquisitions done at higher multiples.

The bottom line is that at present, HLB's offer is the only one on the table for EON Cap's shareholders.

Current market conditions are likely to make it difficult for other bidders, such as Affin Bank Bhd, to raise funds to acquire EON Cap.

If this deal falls through, the next bidder for EON Cap may no longer have the luxury of having a lower threshold of shareholder approval for the deal to go through.