Artikel von Tim Wood
- 31% des Aktienkapital liegen in feindlichen Händen (Norilsk und Harmony)
- Gold Fields Chairman Thompson ist nicht geneigt, ein nettes Spiel mit Harmony zu machen
- Vermutlich wird Gold FIelds alles machen, damit Harmony beim angegebenen Preis nicht zum Zug kommt.
- Nach Thompson haben drei Konkurrenzunternehmen Interesse an Gold Fields bekundet. Spekuliert wird auf Barrick, Anglo Gold und Placer Dome. Diese würden sich die Rosinen aus Gold Fields picken.
- Wenn der Rand bis zum Februar nicht kollabiert, wird Gold Fields entweder bis dahin nicht mehr bestehen oder radikal anders aussehen.
Gold Fields' Fate Lies in Hostile Hands
By Tim Wood
08 Dec 2004 at 09:54 PM EST
NEW YORK (ResourceInvestor.com) -- Gold Fields emerged in August as a white knight for embattled IAMGold, which was doing everything possible to avoid being acquired by Golden Star Resources. Now it requires its own white knight thanks to Harmony Gold kyboshing its deal.
Although Gold Fields must perforce do everything possible to queer the pitch for Harmony, it is in an invidious position with 31% of its stock in very hostile hands. Norilsk Nickel holds a little over 20% of Gold Fields, whilst Harmony has nearly 11% through its first stage takeover offer.
That bloc, combined with an extremely conflicted vote switch by South African insurance and investment giant Sanlam, tripped Gold Fields up in its quest to spin off its international assets in search of a North American gold stock multiple.
There is talk of a possible recount of the votes cast at the Gold Fields extraordinary general meeting on Tuesday. However, it seems a futile effort since sources put the required number of votes to swing the decision back in Gold Fields’ favour at 10 million shares. It is unlikely that sufficient errors and omissions could be dredged up to find nearly that many yea votes.
Gold Fields’ chairman Chris Thompson told Bloomberg on Wednesday that at least three rival gold producers have expressed an interest in his company. He did not name them, but the companies considered most likely to launch a bid are Barrick Gold, Placer Dome and AngloGold. Newmont is an outside bet given its public displeasure with SA risk factors and aversion to ultra-deep level mining.
Placer Dome could use the black empowerment flow-through and early access to the second phase of its South Deep mine. AngloGold has always wanted to rationalize development between its Western Deep Levels mine, as it used to be known, and Gold Fields’ East Driefontein complex. Barrick needs more reserves to mitigate the impact of its hedge book in a high gold price environment.
In every case the buyer would probably cherry pick Gold Fields and pass on its marginal assets to the likes of Harmony and DRD Gold. Some projects might be mothballed in the hope of preserving optionality in the event of the rand reverting to type.
Thompson is clearly in no mood to play nice with Harmony which conducted a campaign of corporate vilification as it brought its offer to market. The consequence is that Gold Fields appears willing to do almost anything to prevent Harmony from succeeding at its chosen price. Yet it is no less imperative for Harmony to succeed if it is to avoid the humiliation of funding operations through rights issues.
NorNickel retains the most leverage in any outcome. It skated through all the kompromat intended to derail its alliance with Harmony, but stayed sufficiently aloof to be considered a genuine maverick. Yet its presence, along with Harmony’s bloc, is a serious impediment to a clean transaction. Few companies have the appetite to negotiate with several large, fractious shareholders with competing agendas.
The only certain result is that in the absence of a collapse of the rand between now and February, Gold Fields will either cease to exist or become radically different from what investors currently know. Those shareholders can take succour in the fact that Harmony also cannot avoid a remodelling in the same circumstances.