LONDON - De La Rue (LON:DLAR) plc, a British banknote manufacturer, has publicly addressed recent rumors about a potential takeover. The company confirmed on Thursday that while it has not received a complete takeover offer, discussions are ongoing with Disruptive Capital GP Limited and Pension SuperFund Capital (collectively known as the "PSFC Entities") about a potential equity stake acquisition.
The PSFC Entities have proposed to purchase up to 40% of De La Rue's issued share capital at £1.25 per share, but this partial offer would require approval from both the Takeover Panel and De La Rue's shareholders. Importantly, the PSFC Entities have expressed that they do not intend to seek statutory control of the company and have voiced support for the management's current strategic direction. This includes the planned disposal of the Authentication division and ongoing negotiations concerning the sale of the Currency division.
De La Rue has stated that there is no guarantee that any offer for the Currency division will be made or what the terms of such an offer might be. The company's announcement has triggered an "offer period" as per the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, which imposes certain disclosure requirements on the involved parties.
According to the rules set by the Code, the PSFC Entities must clarify their intentions by 5:00 p.m. on January 9, 2025. They must either announce a firm intention to make the partial offer or declare that they will not proceed, with any extension to this deadline requiring the Takeover Panel's consent.
This development comes amid De La Rue's strategic repositioning efforts and could potentially lead to significant changes in the company's ownership structure. The statement from De La Rue also made it clear that the announcement was made without the consent of the PSFC Entities, and therefore, the possibility of the partial offer remains uncertain. This information is based on a press release statement from De La Rue.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.