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BHP and Anglo dig in even as takeover talks due date nears, sources state

BHP was struggling to discover common ground with Anglo American on Tuesday in talks over its takeover offer, without any brand-new concessions as a due date nears for the world's biggest miner to send a binding deal, five sources stated.

Anglo gave its bigger rival a one week extension up until 1600 GMT on Wednesday to its initial May 22 deadline to submit a binding offer, after declining a third takeover proposal that had actually been dismissed as tough to carry out. It agreed to hold talks with BHP to settle contentious concerns over the structure of the deal.

The latest BHP deal worths Anglo at 29.34 pounds per share or 38.6 billion pounds ($ 49.38 billion) and is contingent on Anglo unbundling its South African platinum and iron ore possessions - Anglo American Platinum and Kumba Iron Ore.

. spoke with five of Anglo's top 20 investors who had calls with BHP after its third offer was rejected. The financiers said that BHP at present is maintaining that it would not be changing the value and structure of the deal.

Anglo is adhering to its position that the offer isn't. compelling sufficient which BHP's proposed structure is difficult. to implement and deteriorates value, the sources said.

Anglo is talking with BHP however I am uncertain if it's simply. going through the movements so it can state it attempted, or genuinely. attempted to get somewhere, Ian Woodley, a portfolio manager at Old. Mutual said. BHP stated it won't change its structure and that it. can't or will not take control of Anglo as it is because the unbundling. of Amplats and Kumba just gets too complicated then.

BHP and Anglo decreased to comment.

Anglo has itself described a strategy to divest its less. profitable coal, nickel, diamond and platinum units to concentrate on. broadening copper output to more than 1 million heaps in a years.

Anglo shares in London closed down 2.1% at 25.58 pounds, a. discount of about 15% to BHP's last deal.

Some financiers have stated they would have chosen a choice. where BHP offered to buy the entire company and spin off the. assets it doesn't want afterwards.

We asked BHP, if you think it's that simple (to demerge the. South African possessions), why do not you purchase the business in full,. one financier stated. They can't truly answer that, they just state. it is not lined up with their technique.

Another financier stated they asked BHP CEO Mike Henry if he. isn't concerned about risking the offer over the rejection to yield. on the South African possessions, which would represent less than 10%. of its entire portfolio, if the deal succeeds.

Henry responded that he was also thinking about feedback from. his investors who have actually cautioned him versus changing the. structure, or raising the deal again.

A source knowledgeable about the matter said that Anglo isn't. going to extract any more concessions from BHP.

BHP sees its offer as very generous, particularly if you. envision there are a lot of synergies, the source added.

Another source stated that Anglo could extend the deadline for. BHP to submit its deal if there was a shift in positions on. either side.

(source: Reuters)