Danone (-0.90% to 35.70 euros) has announced a capital increase “with maintenance of preferential subscription rights of shareholders for a total of 3.048 billion euros.” The subscription period of the new shares will begin on June 1st and ends June 12 “The subscription of new shares will be made at a price of 24.73 euros per share at a rate of 4 new shares for 17 existing shares, resulting in the issuance of 123 236 352 new shares,” said the champion yoghurt.
The food group said that the transaction would enable it to strengthen its financial structure, reduce its debt and improve its improved credit ratios, “but also” increase its financial flexibility and strategic, to support its strategy of organic growth and acquisitions fund small or medium sized. ” End 2008, the Danone debt was 11 billion euros.
The subscription price reflects a discount of 31.4% over the closing price of Danone Thursday. Each shareholder will receive a preferential subscription right per share held at the end of the trading session today. The offer will be open to the public in France and Switzerland and will be fully guaranteed by a syndicate of banks led by Calyon and JP Morgan.
The group recalled qu’Eurazeo, who controls 5.2% of Danone planned to subscribe to this capital increase.
M-L.H.
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GLOSSARY
Capital increase: Action is to increase the capital of a company by issuing new shares. Generally used as a last resort to fund the company (after cash and debt). This type of operation is short-term dilutive for shareholders.
The company generally offers to existing shareholders to subscribe new shares in principle, a price below the last share price.
Performances
- Main activities: (i) fresh dairy products, (ii) Water and (iii) Food and Nutrition Medical Child
- Sales Growth of 19.1% in 2008 to 15.2 billion euros due to the acquisition of Numico (growth of 8.4% on a comparable basis)
- Results: In 2008, growth of 12.3% of net operating profit (at 2.27 billion euros) and improving the operating margin of 53pb (to 14.91%) on a comparable basis.
- Outlook: For 2009, given the economic slowdown, including in emerging countries, predicts a growth of a few points below the 8% to 10% target for 2008. Also provides a 10% increase in diluted net income per share to the consolidation and constant exchange rates.
Strategy
- As part of its strategy to focus on health, the group has sold between 1997 and 2007 all of its grocery business, its packaging, its Cheese and Charcuterie (Galbani), its European beer business its activities and its activities Sauces Biscuits (with the exception of its holdings in Latin America and India).
Following the acquisition of Dutch Numico in October 2007, Danone now has two jobs and health-oriented growth, nutrition, medical and infant nutrition.
In a very difficult environment, Danone account consolidate its innovation strategy in 2009.
- Financial Events: In 2007 the group carried out an assignment most simultaneously (Biscuits pole) and a strategic acqui sition, the largest ever undertaken by the Group (Numico).
The strengths of the value
- A major player in the global food industry;
- Good resistance to the crisis thanks to the reputation of its brands;
- Strong momentum in terms of supply through a policy of constant innovation and high reactivity in relation to consumer demand (in France, facing the growing importance of brands, launching the Ecopack, pack yogurts EUR 1);
- Policy on disposal of non-strategic (recently its subsidiary in Australia and New Zealand Fructor) to reduce debt;
- The health positioning allows the group to pass on price increases of raw materials, and thus preserve its margins;
- With a fleet of more than 78%, and in the absence of a shareholder, the group is potentially opéable => speculative interest.
The weaknesses of the value
- In France, development of brands in a context of crisis;
- Difficulties structural pole of bottled water in developed countries;
- The conflict with the Chinese Wahaha bogged (since 2005). It is now settled by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce;
- Because of new accounting standards (which require reassessment of goodwill), the group could record higher depreciation following the acquisition of Numico;
- The acquisition of more than 12 billion euros has inflated legal debt of the group.
The value and its sector
- The industry: In a very tight economy, the big players such as Danone and Nestlé are resisting because their capacity for innovation allows them to develop new products with higher added value.
- The value in the sector: No. 1 worldwide for fresh dairy products, No. 2 bottled water, No. 2 of infant nutrition (and the European leader) and No 3 of the medical nutrition.
Danone is one of the few players in the food completely refocused on health, which gives it some strategic advantage.
How to track the value
- Defensive value because of its activity. Nevertheless, competition from private label emphasizes that the performance of the group are influenced by the overall economic situation.
- Danone seeks to debt therefore other assignments are possible.
- Company opéable easily, especially as the share price fell by more than 27% in one year.
Remuneration of directors and shareholders
Directors and corporate officers
- CEO: Franck Riboud: total pay in 2007 (fixed, variable and benefits included): 2.5 million euros (-2.9% yoy)
- Stock options granted to the Executive Committee: 3 810 668 shares (or 0.7% of the number of shares issued)
- In 2007, the total gross direct and indirect remuneration paid to members of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee amounted to 12.4 million.
- Will adopt the recommendations MEDEF / AFEP
Shareholders
- Major shareholders: Target 78.2%, self 7.3%, 5.5% Eurazeo; Caisse des depots et des consignations: 3.5% Other / Miscellaneous 5.5%
- Dividends paid: € 560 million provided in 2008
- Rate of dividend distribution: 13% on 2007 results against more than 30% in 2006
- Growth rate of dividend per share: 10% in 2007 (and 17.6% in 2006)
- Yield (dividends / Courses *): 1.9% at end 2007 against 1% at end 2006 (* average for the year)
- Estimated dividends per share: 1.20 in 2008 and 1.28 in 2009
THE VALUE OF THE SECTOR
Food
All the players lack of visibility for 2009 and are extremely cautious in their forecast results for this year. To withstand a difficult environment, which favors labels (MDD), the groups have two possibilities. Either they develop innovative products to differentiate themselves or they compete with private label. The environment does not appear for the first carrier type of product. Thus yoghurt ‘beauty’ Essensa Danone was a failure and its commercialization will be suspended. The group launched the french Ecopack, a batch of six yoghurt 1 euro. Yoplait did so by developing a “Green offers” for 1 euro. But again the success is not guaranteed because Ecopack is distributed in less than 30% of hypermarkets and supermarkets. Therefore it is also essential to build on the ranges established by multiplying both the innovations and promotions. Activia 0%, Danone introduced by the french market by year-end, performed well this has strengthened the group in that direction.
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