Friday, 26 October 2012 15:23

Fonterra sets unit price

Written by 

Farmers and other investors will have to fork out $4.60 - $5.50 per unit in the Fonterra Shareholders Fund.

The Final Price payable per unit will be announced late November but Fonterra chairman says it won't be less than $4.60/unit.

"That's a line we're drawing in the sand," he says. The co-op is offering $500m worth of units in the offer which opens next week and closes on November 21.

Van der Heyden says the final price will be announced following the completion of a bookbuild process, under which selected institutional investors and NZX Firms are invited to lodge bids indicating the number of units they wish to apply for at a range of prices. The final price could be within or above the indicative price range.

The cooperative has forecast a dividend for the 2013 financial year of 32 cents/share. The indicative price range implies a 2013 financial year gross distribution yield of 5.8% to 7%.

Fonterra Shareholders Fund, is a unit trust that will hold shares sold by Fonterra farmers and issue a unit per share to investors.

Fund chairman John Shewan says it is important to note this is an opportunity to invest in units issued by the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund, and is not an opportunity to acquire Fonterra Shares.

"However, the return on a unit is essentially dependent on the performance of Fonterra," says Shewan.

Highlights of the Fonterra offer are;

• The offer comprises $500 million of Units (with the ability to accept oversubscriptions of up to a further $25 million).

• Although there is no general public offer, investors are encouraged to contact a NZX Firm to determine whether they can participate in the Offer to buy Units in the Fund through the Broker Firm Offer.

• The Broker Firm Offer is available only to New Zealand resident clients of NZX Firms who have received an allocation from that NZX Firm.

• The Friends of Fonterra Offer recognises the contribution that employees, sharemilkers, current and retired Shareholders have made to Fonterra's performance since its formation. Minimum application amounts under this offer are set at $2000. Maximum application amounts under the Friends of Fonterra Offer are set at $50,000, except in respect of Fonterra's New Zealand and Australian employees, whose maximum application amount is $25,000. This offer is extended to:

- Fonterra Farmer Shareholders, as at 26 October 2012.

- Fonterra-supplying sharemilkers, as at 26 October 2012.

- Former Fonterra Farmer Shareholders who have retired from the industry after 26 October 2007 and have not supplied a competitor of Fonterra since last supplying Fonterra.

- Permanent employees in Australia and New Zealand.

• Up to $25 million of Units have been allocated for subscription under the Australian Supplier Offer to shareholders of the Bonlac Supply Company Limited and suppliers of milk to Fonterra Milk Australia Pty Ltd (both of which are Australian registered companies).

More like this

Chinese strategy

OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.

LCAs tackle false narratives

The quest to measure, report and make sense of the energy that goes into food production has come a long way in the past 25 years.

$3b windfall?

Fonterra's proposed sale of its global consumer business could fetch over $3 billion but not all proceeds will end up in the pockets of farmer shareholders.

Featured

Better animal genetic gain system

A governance group has been formed, following extensive sector consultation, to implement the recommendations from the Industry Working Group's (IWG) final report and is said to be forming a 'road map' for improving New Zealand's animal genetic gain system.

SIDE 2025's new schedule, venue

Annual farmer gathering, the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE), is set to make history as it heads to Timaru for the first time.

Taranaki piggery goes solar

Installing 400 solar panels at their Taranaki piggery and cropping operation will have significant environmental, financial and animal welfare benefits for the Stanley family.

Editorial: Keep FTAs coming

OPINION: The dairy industry will  be a major beneficiary of a new free trade deal between NZ and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

National

Organic sector backtracks on GE

Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) says the Government’s new gene editing and genetic modification reforms could leave New Zealand as…

$3b windfall?

Fonterra's proposed sale of its global consumer business could fetch over $3 billion but not all proceeds will end up…

Machinery & Products

Milk Sustainability Centre launched

The recently announced Milk Sustainability Centre – a collaboration between global giant John Deere and milking and feed specialists De…

Data connection made easier

New Holland and Case IH are introducing new advancements in their precision technology stack to make farming easier and more…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Chinese strategy

OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.

Not fair

OPINION: The Listener's latest piece on winter grazing among Southland dairy farmers leaves much to be desired.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter