Noranda Income Fund (TSX: NIF.UN) (the “Fund”) announced today that
Glencore Canada Corporation (“Glencore”) has agreed to increase the
purchase price for the acquisition of all issued and outstanding
priority units of the Fund from $1.42 to $1.98 per priority unit
and the parties have entered into an amending agreement (the
“Amending Agreement”) to amend the arrangement agreement dated
January 8, 2023 (the “Arrangement Agreement”) accordingly.
The purchase price of $1.98 per priority unit
represents a 102% premium on the closing price on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (“TSX”) on January 6, 2023, the last trading day prior to
announcement of the Arrangement Agreement, and a 126% premium on
the 20-day volume weighted average price per priority unit on the
TSX for the period ending on January 6, 2023. Prior to the Fund
entering into the Arrangement Agreement on January 8, 2023,
Accuracy Canada provided an independent valuation to the
Independent Committee of the Board of Trustees of Noranda Operating
Trust (the “Board”), which determined that, as at December 31,
2022, based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and
qualifications contained therein, the fair market value of the
priority units ranged from $1.24 to $1.94 per unit. The increased
purchase price of $1.98 per unit exceeds the top-end of this
valuation range.
Glencore has also entered into lock-up and
support agreements (“Support Agreements”) with Riverstyx Capital
Management, LM Asset Fund Limited Partnership, LM Asset Management,
Daniel Lau and Doug Warwick (the “Supporting Unitholders”), who in
the aggregate beneficially own or have control or direction over
8,337,691 priority units or approximately 22% of the priority units
of the Fund. Under the terms of their Support Agreements, the
Supporting Unitholders have agreed to support and vote all of the
priority units of the Fund they control at the special meeting of
Fund unitholders to be held on February 28, 2023 (the “Meeting”),
or at any adjournment or postponement thereof, in favour of
Glencore’s acquisition of the Fund by way of plan of arrangement
(the “Arrangement”), as set forth in the Arrangement
Agreement, as amended.
The Amending Agreement was unanimously approved
by the Board, with those members of the Board who are related to
Glencore abstaining from voting, and its Independent Committee. The
Arrangement, as amended, is subject to the condition that the
Supporting Unitholders comply in all material respects with their
obligations, covenants and agreements in their Support Agreements.
All other terms and conditions of the Arrangement Agreement
otherwise remain unchanged.
“The Amending Agreement provides Fund
unitholders with a meaningful price enhancement on what was already
an opportunity to unlock an immediate and attractive premium for
their units and, accordingly, the Arrangement continues to be
unanimously recommended by the Board and its Independent Committee”
said Mr. Anthony Lloyd, Chair of the Board and member of the
Independent Committee.
The Board, with those members of the Board who
are related to Glencore abstaining from voting, and its Independent
Committee unanimously reiterate that the Arrangement with Glencore
is in the best interests of the Fund and its priority unitholders
and is fair to the Fund priority unitholders, and unanimously
recommend that priority unitholders:
Vote FOR
the special resolution approving the Arrangement with
Glencore
Voting Information for the February 28,
2023 MeetingFor Fund unitholders who have submitted their
proxies or voting instructions to the Fund in favour of the
Arrangement with Glencore and do not wish to change their votes on
the matter set forth therein, no further action is required and
their votes will be counted at the Meeting for the approval of the
Arrangement in accordance with the proxies or voting instructions
already submitted. For Fund unitholders who have already
submitted their proxies or voting instructions and wish to change
their votes, they must comply with the proxy revocation procedures
set forth in the management proxy circular of the Fund filed on
January 26, 2023. The cut-off time for voting and
the withdrawal of proxies is 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time) on February
24, 2023. Late proxies may be accepted or rejected by the
chair of the Meeting in his discretion. Fund unitholders holding
their units through a broker, investment dealer or other
intermediary should contact such intermediary without
delay if they wish to change their voting instructions.
Fund unitholders who require assistance in submitting or
changing their proxies or voting instructions may direct their
inquiries to the Fund’s strategic unitholder advisor and proxy
solicitation agent, Kingsdale Advisors, by calling or texting
1-888-213-0093. Kingsdale Advisors can also help Fund unitholders
by email at
contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com.
Plan of Arrangement The
Arrangement will be implemented by way of a court-approved plan of
arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) and the
Trustee Act (Ontario) and will require the approval of: (i) 66 2/3%
of the votes cast by the holders of the Fund’s priority units and
special fund units voting as a single class; and (ii) a simple
majority of the votes cast by holders of the Fund’s priority units
after excluding the votes from priority unitholders whose votes are
required to be excluded for purposes of “minority approval” under
Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security
Holders in Special Transactions in the context of a “business
combination”, at the Meeting. In addition to unitholder approvals,
the Arrangement is also subject to the receipt of court approval
and other customary closing conditions for transactions of this
nature. The Arrangement is expected to be completed in the first
half of March 2023.
Further details regarding the terms of the
Arrangement are set out in the Fund’s management proxy circular for
the Meeting and in the Arrangement Agreement and the Amending
Agreement entered into between Glencore and the Fund, copies of
which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
For more information on the Arrangement, please
visit www.norandapremiumoffer.com
Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this press release, including statements
regarding the proposed privatization of the Fund by Glencore,
court, and unitholder approvals and the unitholder meeting, are
forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in
all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “targets”,
“expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “an opportunity
exists”, “is positioned”, “estimates”, “intends”, “assumes”,
“anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes”, or variations
of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or
results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” or “will be
taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Statements containing
forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead
represent management's expectations, estimates and projections
regarding future events.
Forward-looking information is necessarily based
on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while
considered reasonable as of the date of this press release, are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and
other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity,
performance or achievements to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including
but not limited to the factors described in greater detail in the
“Risk Factors” section of the Fund’s Annual Information Form dated
March 30, 2022 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the Fund’s
other periodic filings available at www.sedar.com. These factors
are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that
could affect the Fund; however, these factors should be considered
carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and
assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking
statements contained in this press release are made as of the date
of this press release, and the Fund expressly disclaims any
obligation to update or alter statements containing any
forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions
underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise, except as required by law.
About the Noranda Income
FundNoranda Income Fund is an income trust whose priority
units trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol
“NIF.UN”. Noranda Income Fund owns the electrolytic zinc processing
facility and ancillary assets (the “Processing Facility”)
located in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec. The Processing
Facility is the second-largest zinc processing facility in North
America and the largest zinc processing facility in eastern North
America, where the majority of zinc customers are located. It
produces refined zinc metal and various by-products from sourced
zinc concentrates. The Processing Facility is operated and managed
by Canadian Electrolytic Zinc Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Glencore Canada Corporation. Further information about Noranda
Income Fund can be found at: www.norandaincomefund.com.
For more information: |
Andrew SidnellVice President, Special SituationsKingsdale
Advisors647-265-4522 asidnell@kingsdaleadvisors.com |
Noranda Income (TSX:NIF.UN)
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Noranda Income (TSX:NIF.UN)
過去 株価チャート
から 11 2023 まで 11 2024