Monsanto Drops Bid to Acquire Syngenta

After its latest offer to Syngenta was rebuffed, Monsanto has dropped its bid to acquire the company.
“Without a basis for constructive engagement from Syngenta, Monsanto will continue to focus on its growth opportunities built on its existing core business to deliver the next wave of transformational solutions for agriculture,” Monsanto said in a press release.
Monsanto confirmed it communicated a revised proposal on August 18 to Syngenta to combine the two companies. The enhanced proposal, subject to due diligence and other customary conditions, included a number of elements including the following:
  • Monsantos new proposal increased the cash component of the proposed transaction to CHF 245 per share. The proposal also maintained the same number of shares as in its April proposal, providing Syngenta shareowners with an approximate 30 percent ownership in the new company. Based on Monsantos share price and currency exchange rates at the time, the revised proposal translated to a value of CHF 470 per share.
  • Given the confidence the transaction would close and to provide additional protection from closing risk, the proposal increased the reverse break-up fee to $3 billion. The reverse break-up fee would have been payable by Monsanto if it would have been unable to obtain necessary global regulatory approvals.

“Monsanto will continue its focus on opportunities within its existing core business and resume the implementation of its approved share repurchase program as soon as practical,” the company said. “In addition, Monsanto management today confirmed its confidence in delivering its five-year plan to more than double fiscal-year 2014 ongoing earnings per share by 2019.”

Read Monsanto’s full statement.

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