The Appen Ltd (ASX: APX) share price is going bananas, it’s currently up by 30% after receiving a takeover offer.
What’s going on with the Appen share price?
Appen has told the market that it has received an “unsolicited, conditional and non-binding indicative” offer from TELUS International to buy the whole business.
The offer price is $9.50 cash per share.
However, at this stage, the offer is subject to several conditions including completing due diligence to the satisfaction of Telus, Telus finalising its financing arrangements, the Appen board unanimously recommending the proposal and the parties entering into a mutually acceptable deal. There are also other conditions such as regulatory and third-party approval.
What was the response?
The Appen board said that, after obtaining advice from financial advisers, the board is in discussions with Telus to seek an improvement in the terms of the offer.
To help get a better offer, the board has offered to provide, on a non-exclusive basis, limited business and financial information. However, no material non-public information has been given to Telus yet.
The company also pointed to a number growth areas for the business which would imply Appen is worth a good price, such as growth of the industry, its revenue growth and a number of investments made by the company.
Trading update
Appen said that as at 30 April 2022, its year to date revenue plus orders in hand for delivery was approximately US$297 million, up 14% year on year.
It expects that FY22 revenue will have a greater skew to the second half than FY21, supported by a strong level of current orders in hand.
However, it noted that as at 30 April 2022, the ASX share’s year to date revenue is lower than it was at this time last year.
It also expects FY22 first half EBITDA (EBITDA explained) to be “materially lower” than the prior corresponding period due to lower than expected revenue and the investments it has made. However, FY22 EBITDA is expected to be “significantly” weighted to the second half, reflecting the revenue skew.
The company said that it remains committed to its growth strategy and achieving its long-term objectives and remains confident of its prospects in the ‘high-growth’ AI market.
Final thoughts on the Appen share price
Appen shares are still lower than the offer price – it’s not guaranteed to go ahead. For Appen shareholders, it’s hopefully pleasing to see the Appen share price regain some of the lost ground. However, it has still fallen a long way over the last year, and two years.
Time will tell if the offer goes through, but I’d be glad to get out if I had been a shareholder for the last few years.
