© Reuters
By Scott Murdoch and Himanshi Akhand
(Reuters) -Australia’s InvoCare Ltd shares jumped nearly 12% on Monday after it revealed a higher A$1.86 billion ($1.26 billion) offer from global private equity firm TPG had been tabled just weeks after it rejected a lower bid it said undervalued the funeral services provider.
Shares of InvoCare rose to A$12.36 by 0424 GMT, outperforming the broader Australian market which was up just 0.07% in the afternoon session.
TPG tabled an all cash $A13 per share offer which was 2.7% above its previous $A12.65 bid which had been rejected by InvoCare’s board.
Australia is emerging as a deals hotspot in the Asian region where dealmaking activity remains subdued.
InvoCare’s transaction was the third $1 billion plus corporate buyout in Australia announced on Monday, after Newcrest said it had agreed terms with Newmont Corporation $17.8 billion takeover. Aristocrat Leisure said it would spend $1 billion buying the Nasdaq-listed software firm NeoGames S.A..
The A$13 per share offer represents a 17.2% premium to InvoCare’s last closing price, and is inclusive of a special dividend of up to about 60 Australian cents per share.
TPG is InvoCare’s largest shareholder, holding about 19.2% stake in the company.
InvoCare said TPG was considering creating a scrip option for investors to roll over some of their shareholding into a privatised InvoCare.
Last month, TPG withdrew its buyout bid after it was not granted access to the New South Wales-based company’s books following its A$12.65 per-share indicative offer — a 41.3% premium at the time.
InvoCare said on Monday it had agreed to provide TPG a chance to undertake a five-week due diligence on an exclusive basis to deliver a binding offer.
The company intends to recommend shareholders vote in favour of TPG’s latest offer if it becomes a binding deal, InvoCare added.
($1 = 1.4743 Australian dollars)
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