Credit Suisse says HLB's offer price for EON Cap too low

Tuesday May 18, 2010

Credit Suisse says HLB's offer price for EON Cap too low
By RISEN JAYASEELAN


PETALING JAYA: Credit Suisse Securities (M) Sdn Bhd has deemed Hong Leong Bank Bhd's (HLB) offer price for the assets and liabilities of EON Capital Bhd (EON Cap) too low.

This has put the board of directors of EON Cap in a quandary, sources said. EON Cap's board met yesterday to discuss Credit Suisse's opinion on the offer.

The board had requested for its shares to be suspended from trading, pending an announcement related to the offer.

EON Cap said late yesterday evening that its board meeting had been adjourned “pending further clarification from independent financial adviser Credit Suisse.”

But a party familiar with the deal said with Credit Suisse telling the board that the offer was too low, the board has been put in a tough spot as to what to tell shareholders.

“The board had already said it was going to present the offer to shareholders. Does it now also tell shareholders not to accept the offer?” Sources say the situation is tenuous because HLB has no intention of raising its bid.

From its due diligence of EON Cap, HLB may be inclined to ask EON Cap to make some additional provisioning as a condition to the deal, stemming from what it (HLB) deems as unrecoverable loans.

This could mean that the price HLB is willing to pay for EON Cap may be lower than the RM7.20 per share it last made.

EON Cap is said to be disappointed that HLB has not recognised certain deferred tax assets in its valuation of the former, sources say.

HLB's offer is also priced at around 1.4 times the book value of EON Bank, which some analysts deem as low in light of other banking merger and acquisitions done at higher multiples.

The bottom line is that at present, HLB's offer is the only one on the table for EON Cap's shareholders.

Current market conditions are likely to make it difficult for other bidders, such as Affin Bank Bhd, to raise funds to acquire EON Cap.

If this deal falls through, the next bidder for EON Cap may no longer have the luxury of having a lower threshold of shareholder approval for the deal to go through.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/18/business/6282935&sec=business

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