Billiton to present bid to Potash investorsPolya Lesova MarketWatch August 19, 2010NEW YORK – Mining giant BHP Billiton went on the attack Wednesday, saying it will take its nearly $39 billion takeover bid for Potash Corp. straight to shareholders after the fertilizer firm's board spurned the offer as grossly inadequate.The Anglo-Australian miner expressed confidence in its $130-a-share all-cash offer for Canada-based Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.The offer values the company at $38.6 billion and represents a 20 percent premium to the closing price of Potash Corp.'s shares on Aug. 11, the day before BHP Billiton's first approach to the firm."We firmly believe that Potash Corp. shareholders will find the certainty of a cash offer, at a premium of 32 percent to the 30-trading-day-period average, very attractive and we have therefore decided to make this offer directly to those shareholders," said BHP Billiton Chairman Jacques Nasser in a statement.But that's not likely to sway Potash directors, according to Credit Suisse report. Fair value for the company is likely between $148 and $180 a share.Potash, a pale yellow compound mined predominately in Canada, Russia and Ethiopia, is an important ingredient for fertilizers, which have seen increased demand on the back of higher grain prices."A bid based at a 50 percent premium (about $163 a share) may be acceptable to the Potash board – but would probably require an accompanying BHP buyback to make the metrics more attractive to BHP shareholders," the investment firm said.At $163 a share, the acquisition would be accretive to BHP by 1 percent in the fourth year, Credit Suisse said. The earlier offer would have been accretive by 5 percent in the third year.Potash stock rallied 28 percent Tuesday after the company announced its board had rejected BHP's offer as inadequate. Billiton to present bid to Potash investorsPolya Lesova MarketWatch August 19, 2010NEW YORK – Mining giant BHP Billiton went on the attack Wednesday, saying it will take its nearly $39 billion takeover bid for Potash Corp. straight to shareholders after the fertilizer firm's board spurned the offer as grossly inadequate.The Anglo-Australian miner expressed confidence in its $130-a-share all-cash offer for Canada-based Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.The offer values the company at $38.6 billion and represents a 20 percent premium to the closing price of Potash Corp.'s shares on Aug. 11, the day before BHP Billiton's first approach to the firm."We firmly believe that Potash Corp. shareholders will find the certainty of a cash offer, at a premium of 32 percent to the 30-trading-day-period average, very attractive and we have therefore decided to make this offer directly to those shareholders," said BHP Billiton Chairman Jacques Nasser in a statement.But that's not likely to sway Potash directors, according to Credit Suisse report. Fair value for the company is likely between $148 and $180 a share.Potash, a pale yellow compound mined predominately in Canada, Russia and Ethiopia, is an important ingredient for fertilizers, which have seen increased demand on the back of higher grain prices."A bid based at a 50 percent premium (about $163 a share) may be acceptable to the Potash board – but would probably require an accompanying BHP buyback to make the metrics more attractive to BHP shareholders," the investment firm said.At $163 a share, the acquisition would be accretive to BHP by 1 percent in the fourth year, Credit Suisse said. The earlier offer would have been accretive by 5 percent in the third year.Potash stock rallied 28 percent Tuesday after the company announced its board had rejected BHP's offer as inadequate.
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