Toshiba board agrees to accept JIP's US$15.3 billion buyout proposal
TOSHIBA’S board on Thursday (Mar 23) agreed to accept a buyout proposal worth around US$15.3 billion from a consortium led by private-equity firm Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), the Nikkei business daily reported.
Toshiba was not immediately available for comment.
The JIP consortium last month submitted a binding buyout proposal backed by US$10.6 billion in loan commitments from major banks.
JIP intends to take Toshiba private, the Nikkei said, adding that the consortium will include about 20 Japanese companies, such as Orix, Rohm and Chubu Electric Power.
If successful, the deal would draw a line under years of upheaval for the industrial conglomerate ranging from accounting scandals, heavy losses, corporate governance concerns as well as friction with activist investors that led to a strategic review.
It has taken weeks for the board to proceed with a vote on JIP’s proposal, as some board members were dissatisfied with its offer price, sources have said.
“If the early reports are correct, this ends months of uncertainty regarding whether a deal was coming, and years of uncertainty regarding the Board’s understanding of the right price,” said analyst Travis Lundy of Quiddity Advisors, who publishes on Smartkarma.
“This would provide a lot of activists a way out, even if it is not what they hoped for. The question is whether ‘Toshiba Fatigue’ is strong enough to overcome disappointment on price.” REUTERS
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