kiwisteve
14 years ago
LGL Merger Update
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - June 8, 2010) - Lihir Gold Ltd (LGL) (TSX:LGG)(ASX:LGL)(NASDAQ:LIHR) notes today's announcement by Newcrest Mining Ltd that it has completed its due diligence of LGL and that Newcrest is satisfied with the outcome of the process.
LGL welcomes Newcrest's commitment to the proposed merger, which will create an attractive gold company with operations in five countries and strong growth opportunities.
LGL also advises that the timetable for the proposed merger has been extended by 1-2 weeks. The Scheme Meeting is now expected to be held in August, with the merger scheduled for completion in September 2010, subject to the Independent Expert concluding that the Scheme is in the best interests of LGL shareholders and LGL's shareholders approving the transaction.
LGL will update the market once the revised timetable has been finalised.
ARBN 069 803 998
For more information, please contact
Lihir Gold Limited
Joe Dowling
GM Corporate Affairs
07 3266 8382 or 0421 587755
www.LGLGold.com
kiwisteve
14 years ago
... We have been encouraging investors for some time now to expand their position in the yellow metal. In particular, we’ve recommended Newcrest Mining, which is part of our Growth Portfolio, and Lihir Gold (LIHR), which is part of our online-only Fast Track Portfolio.
The two companies have been in discussions recently over the $8.4-billion takeover offer by Newcrest for Lihir.
Lihir rejected Newcrest’s most recent offer, made on March 29. Both companies have acknowledged that combining the firms makes strategic sense – Newcrest has argued that the combined company would generate A$85 million a year in synergies – but as of yet, the two companies do not see eye to eye on shareholder compensation. Discussions have been on-going since at least February 15, when Newcrest made its first offer, and the Australian-based gold miner has said it will continue to discuss the acquisition with Lihir.
If a deal were to be completed, it would be the latest in a string of mining company mergers in Australia.
Shares of both companies have done well as of late, with Lihir’s climbing almost 30 percent upon rejecting the takeover offer. Their performance reinforces our belief that investors are seeking out opportunities in gold, and both stocks, we believe, are worth owning for the foreseeable future.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/197723-using-gold-as-a-hedge-to-the-greek-crisis
kiwisteve
14 years ago
LGL Rejects Acquisition Proposal From Newcrest Mining Ltd
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA -- (Marketwire)
03/31/10
Lihir Gold Ltd (LGL) (TSX: LGG)(ASX: LGL)(NASDAQ: LIHR) has today rejected an offer from Newcrest Mining Ltd to acquire 100% of LGL's issued ordinary shares through a scheme of arrangement.
The offer, which was received on 29 March 2010, was on the basis of 1 Newcrest share for every 9 LGL shares plus A$0.225 cash per LGL share, less any interim dividend declared for the half year ended June 2010. Based on Newcrest's closing share price as at 31 March 2010, the offer was equivalent to A$3.87 per share and valued the company at approximately A$9.2 billion.
While the Board recognized the strategic merits of the combination of the two companies, following careful review and analysis, directors unanimously determined that the offer did not represent good value for LGL shareholders. This was particularly the case given the conditions and exclusivity arrangements that Newcrest proposed.
LGL Chairman Ross Garnaut said the offer undervalued LGL, both in terms of its existing business, and in terms of the potential value the company expected to deliver to shareholders in the future. "It also did not include a sufficient premium for control," Dr Garnaut said.
"Directors and management made certain that Newcrest was given the opportunity to make an offer that would deliver full value for our shareholders, but the Board's assessment was that the offer ultimately received was inadequate. We felt we had an obligation to shareholders to reject the offer," he said.
In the course of discussions leading to the offer, LGL provided Newcrest with access to limited due diligence items. The due diligence was subject to a confidentiality deed and 9 month standstill agreement and gave Newcrest an opportunity to put forward an offer that LGL's Board may have considered to be in the interests of shareholders.
"LGL has an excellent portfolio of operating mines in three countries and has achieved record production outcomes every year for the last four years, reaching output of 1.124 million ounces in 2009. We have major growth projects currently being developed in PNG and in West Africa, which will deliver increasing returns over the coming years, lifting average annual gold production by approximately 40% from current levels to 1.45 million ounces from 2012 to 2016.
"There is considerable option value in the huge gold resource at Lihir Island, which increased 31% to 43 million ounces in 2009, and also in the company's assets in West Africa.
"We were keen to ensure that our shareholders capture the full value of that growth," Dr Garnaut said.
"The Board is strongly of the view that LGL is undervalued in the marketplace, and that view has been expressed to us on a number of occasions by shareholders. We have recently made management changes and taken other steps that will assist us in the process of rebuilding market confidence and correcting that valuation shortfall.
"In that context, it was clear to the Board that the Newcrest offer failed to provide full value for the underlying assets with an appropriate takeover premium," Dr Garnaut said.
"The world class, long life nature of LGL's pure gold assets would add a great deal to the value of Newcrest, as it would to some other companies, and the offer price did not provide an appropriate sharing of the potential benefits of the proposed combination," Dr Garnaut said.
For relevant details of the company's recent performance, please see Appendix One.
LGL's Board remains committed to maximising value for its shareholders and this will continue to be the only criterion by which any further proposals or strategic options will be evaluated.
LGL will keep the market informed of further developments as appropriate.
To view Appendix One, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/lgg331appendix.pdf
ARBN 069 803 998
Contacts:
Lihir Gold Ltd
Joe Dowling
GM Corporate Affairs
+61 421 587755
Lihir Gold Ltd
Josie Brophy
Corporate Communications Manager
+61 7 3318 3317
Caliburn Partnership
Richard Phillips
+61 3 9935 6806
Cheryl A. Martin
North American Investor Relations
303-386-4586
cmartin@martincorpcom.net
Pro-Life
15 years ago
LGL's (Lihir Gold) First Quarter Fiscal 2009 Production Report
Results to March 31, 2009 include Third Successive Quarter of Record Output
On Thursday April 30, 2009, 6:30 am EDT
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/LGLs-Lihir-Gold-First-Quarter-iw-15081461.html
WOW!!!
"... In summary, the Company has achieved a third successive quarter of record output in the March quarter, producing 318,000 ounces of gold from its four operations. The first quarter result leaves the company well on track to achieve its stated 2009 production target of 1.04 - 1.2 million ounces, which will be LGL's fourth successive year of record gold output. It also confirms the success of the company's diversification and growth strategy implemented over the past two years... "
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