The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price is down 0.3% following Anglo American plc‘s (LON: AAL) response to the takeover offer.
BHP and Anglo American are two of the largest miners in the world. Both have iron ore and copper mining assets, and exposure to other commodities.
Takeover rejected
The Anglo-American board provided a response late last week to BHP’s “unsolicited, non-binding and highly conditional” merger proposal from BHP.
As a reminder, the proposal was an all-share offer by BHP to buy Anglo American with a requirement for Anglo American to complete two separate demergers of its entire shareholdings of Anglo American Platinum and Kumba Iron Ore to Anglo American shareholders. The all-share offer and required demergers that would be inter-conditional.
Anglo American considered the proposal with its advisers and concluded that the proposal “significantly undervalues Anglo American and its future prospects.”
On top of that, the proposal “contemplates a structure which the board believes is highly unattractive for Anglo American’s shareholders, given the uncertainty and complexity inherent in the proposal, and significant execution risks.”
Therefore, the board of Anglo American rejected the offer.
Leadership comments
Stuart Chambers, Chair of Anglo American, said:
Anglo American is well positioned to create significant value from its portfolio of high quality assets that are well aligned with the energy transition and other major demand trends. With copper representing 30% of Anglo American’s total production, and with the benefit of well-sequenced and value-accretive growth options in copper and other structurally attractive products, the board believes that Anglo American’s shareholders stand to benefit from what we expect to be significant value appreciation as the full impact of those trends materialises.
The BHP proposal is opportunistic and fails to value Anglo American’s prospects, while significantly diluting the relative value upside participation of Anglo American’s shareholders relative to BHP’s shareholders.
Final thoughts on the BHP share price
I can understand why Anglo American rejected the offer – it’s not obligated to accept an offer it thinks undervalues the business.
If BHP has to pay a lot more, it would dilute the attractiveness of the deal. There are other copper assets out there which BHP could pursue, though there aren’t that many of large scale. If I were BHP, I’d spend a bit more of exploring for copper to try to find a mines it can build itself without having to pay such a large premium. For me, Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) are currently a more appealing choice for a copper play.
