Tag: MINT

Minor Buys 26.5% of NH Hoteles from HNA for €622M

5 June 2018 – El País

The Thai company Minor International has purchased the Chinese conglomerate HNA’s 26.46% stake in NH Hotel Group for a total of €662.3 million, and has whereby become the largest shareholder of the Spanish hotel group, according to a statement filed on Tuesday by the Chinese company with Spain’s National Securities and Markets Commission (CNMV).

The operation has been divided into two tranches. On the one hand, HNA has sold a package of 65.85 million shares in the Spanish group, representing 17.64% of NH’s share capital, at a price of €6.40 per share, for a total of €421.4 million. That operation is expected to be closed by the middle of this month.

On the other hand, the Asian group has sold 32.93 million shares, representing 8.83% of NH’s share capital for €6.10 per share, equivalent to a total price of €200.9 million. Nevertheless, this second operation is subject to the execution of the first and is expected to be closed by the middle of September.

Forced takeover

Currently, Minor holds a 10.22% stake in NH, although it only holds 1.66% in shares. It holds the remaining 8.56% through financial instruments. When its acquisition of HNA’s stake is completed, Minor will be obliged to launch a takeover bid for 100% of the Spanish hotel group, as established by the law, as it will exceed the threshold of 30% of its share capital. The minimum price of that bid will have to be €6.40 per share.

Minor acquired its first stake in NH a month ago, with the purchase of 8.6% from the fund Oceanwood for €196 million, when it paid exactly the same price (€6.40 per share) that it will now pay HNA. Following that operation, Minor explained that “no management changes are expected” in NH in relation to its investment in the company, but it left the door open to expand its stake and, therefore, take absolute control over it.

Minor International Public Company Limited (MINT), the company that operates the Minor Hoteles brand, has 160 hotels, 2,000 restaurants and 400 outlets, most of which are located in South-East Asia. The firm’s market capitalisation amounts to around €4 billion.

Original story:El País (by Ramón Muñoz)

Translation: Carmel Drake