Safran’s share-based offer for Zodiac Aerospace works out to be more valuable at

Safran’s share-based offer for Zodiac Aerospace works out to be more valuable at current prices than the cash tender offer.
  • Safran is initially expected to launch a tender offer for Zodiac Aerospace shares at EU29.47 per share and then a subsequent merger on the basis of 0.485 Safran shares for one Zodiac Aerospace share
    • Based on the current share price of Safran, the subsequent merger offer involving shares is worth ~EU30.4 per share
    • The subsequent merger offer is currently ~3.2% higher vs the cash tender offer
    • Zodiac is trading at ~3.6% discount to the cash offer and at ~7% discount to the shares-based merger offer
      • Click here for cash offer deal spread and here for the shares-based merger offer (ex-special div.
  • Replying to a question on the conference call about non-core shareholders tendering into a cash offer that is worth less than the subsequent merger offer, Zodiac CEO Olivier Zarrouati said, “I’m sorry, I will have to consider that."
    • "It’s way too early for me to speculate on the way the market will receive this operation, ” Zarrouati added
    • ”As we all know, the market sometimes can surprise us. We’ll see if such a scenario develops”
  • The tender offer acceptance threshold is 50% and is among conditions, including shareholder approvals, for the final merger
    • Family shareholders, two institutional investors (FFP, Fonds Stratégique de Participations) which are Zodiac’s reference shareholders and in total own 32%, to remain long-term shareholders of the combined entity, will contribute their shares to the subsequent merger offer
  • Completion of tender offer expected by end 4Q 2017, completion of merger expected early 2018