Global deal volume and values on the rise – report

BY Richard Summerfield

Despite several significant headwinds, global M&A deal volume and value continued to rise in Q3 2024, according to S&P Global’s ‘Q3 2024 M&A Equity Offerings Market Report’.

According to the report, stock market volatility led to a fall of nearly 33 percent in the total value of equity issuance, to $65.63bn from second quarter levels and nearly 21 percent from the same period in 2023. But the number of global M&A announcements increased quarter over quarter for the second straight period (though the increase was slight, rising just 0.36 percent) - the first time this has happened since the third and fourth quarters of 2020. Furthermore, the total value of global M&A deals increased 29.1 percent year over year to $708.74bn in the third quarter.

On a year-over-year basis, global M&A announcements increased 7.3 percent, ending a period of 10-straight quarters of declining global announcements. Deal announcement in the Asia-Pacific region were one of the key drivers of Q3 improvements. Across Asia Pacific, the number of transactions increased to 2742, up 16.1 percent from the previous quarter and 17.3 percent from the same period in 2023. Likewise, the total value of the deals announced increased to $165.81bn, almost doubling the previous quarter’s total and a 37.7 percent increase year over year.

Europe produced some year-over-year growth with M&A announcements increasing 7.0 percent to 2846 and the total value increasing 8.8 percent to $130.89bn. But M&A activity in the region fell quarter over quarter, with the number of transactions dropping 6.1 percent and aggregate value 25.8 percent.

Globally, initial public offerings (IPOs) struggled across the first three quarters of the year, driven by economic volatility and the surfeit of elections across Europe. Global IPO activity picked up from the lows in the first half of 2024, but the pace slowed compared to previous years. The value of offerings rose to $23.32bn in the third quarter, an increase of nearly 22 percent from the second quarter of 2024, but was down 32 percent from the third quarter of 2023.

The number of IPO transactions increased worldwide to 326, up from 322 in the second quarter, but down from 387 in the third quarter of 2023. There were 946 transactions across the first three quarters of 2024, down from 1061 in the first nine months of 2023. The Asia-Pacific region did buck this trend to an extent, and India in particular was a relative hotbed of IPO activity, with the number of deals across the country up 32.3 percent year over year to 262 for the first nine months of 2024. Over the same period, the growth in total value has been smaller, however, up 12.7 percent year over year to $7.65bn.

Report: Q3 2024 M&A Equity Offerings Market Report

Longboard Pharma sold in $2.6bn deal

BY Richard Summerfield

Neuroscience specialist Lundbeck has agreed to buy Longboard Pharmaceuticals in a $2.6bn deal.

The transactions, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to the tender of at least a majority of the total number of Longboard outstanding voting shares, receipt of required regulatory clearances, and other customary conditions.

The transaction values Longboard stock at $60 a share, representing $2.6bn in equity value and $2.5bn net of cash.

Longboard is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel, transformative medicines for neurological diseases. The company is currently working on treatments for forms for epilepsy, including Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. Its leading drug, bexicaserin, has shown promising anti-seizure effects in preclinical and clinical studies. Lundbeck estimates bexicaserin could bring in a peak of $1.5bn to $2bn in sales, assuming a launch in the fourth quarter of 2028.

“This transformative transaction will become a cornerstone in Lundbeck’s neuro-rare franchise, with a potential to drive growth into the next decade,” said Charl van Zyl, president and chief executive of Lundbeck. “Bexicaserin addresses a critical unmet need for patients suffering from rare and severe epilepsies, for which there are very few good treatment options available. With this acquisition, we continue to execute on our Focused Innovator strategy, transforming the lives of patients suffering from severe brain disorders.”

“Longboard was founded to transform the lives of people living with devastating neurological conditions,” said Kevin R. Lind, president and chief executive of Longboard. “I am incredibly proud of what our team has achieved; delivering groundbreaking data with a differentiated and inclusive clinical approach to address the needs of a wide range of DEEs and obtaining Breakthrough Therapy designation.

“Lundbeck’s remarkable capabilities will accelerate our vision to provide increased equity and access for underserved DEE patients with significant unmet medical needs,” he added.

According to Mr van Zyl, the acquisition is part of Longboard’s broader focused innovator strategy. The strategy has already seen the company passing over the US rights for depression drug Trintellix to its partner Takeda in the summer in order to “create financial flexibility and reallocate resources to other growth opportunities”.

News: Denmark’s Lundbeck bets on epilepsy drug with $2.6 bln Longboard deal

Chevron to sell oil sands and shale assets for $6.5bn

BY Richard Summerfield

Chevron Canada, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, has agreed to sell its assets in Athabasca Oil Sands and Duvernay Shale to Canadian Natural Resources in a $6.5bn deal.        

The all-cash deal is expected to close in Q4 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is part of the company’s strategy to divest $10bn to $15bn of assets by 2028.

The deal will see Chrevon sell its 20 percent non-operated interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project, 70 percent operated interest in the Duvernay shale, and related interests, all located in Alberta, Canada, to Canadian Natural Resources. The assets contributed 84,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) of production, net of royalties, to Chevron in 2023. Canadian Natural Resources said that these acquisitions add targeted 2025 production of approximately 122,500 boe/d, and the addition of approximately 1448 million boe/d of total proved plus probable reserves.

“These assets are a great fit for Canadian Natural and will allow us to further implement our strong operating culture and drive significant value for shareholders,” said Scott Stauth, president of Canadian Natural. “We have made significant progress in driving efficiencies at AOSP over the last 7 years since the original acquisition in May 2017. We expect further efficiencies and improved performance going forward as a result of our relentless focus on continuous improvement.

“The light crude oil and liquids rich Duvernay assets fit well with our current operations in the area and will drive significant value from our area knowledge and significant experience in this type of resource play,” he continued. “Both acquisitions provide Canadian Natural with immediate free cash flow generation and further opportunities to drive long term shareholder value.”

“This is a great opportunity to add to our world class Oil Sands Mining and Upgrading asset at AOSP, as well as light crude oil and liquids rich assets in Alberta,” said Mark Stainthorpe, chief financial officer of Canadian Natural. “Both of these acquisition properties are targeted to provide significant free cash flow generation on a go forward basis. Having operated the AOSP mines and knowing the assets well, eliminates the risks associated with a brownfield or greenfield project. These transactions are immediately cash flow and earnings accretive to Canadian Natural shareholders.

“Given our strong balance sheet and significant free cash flow generation we are in an excellent position to take advantage of these opportunities that don’t come along very often,” he added.

News: Chevron to sell assets worth $6.5 billion to Canadian Natural Resources

ADNOC agrees $16.4bn Covestro deal

BY Richard Summerfield

Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil firm, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has agreed to acquire German chemicals firm Covestro for $16.4bn. The deal comes as ADNOC begins to diversify amid the volatility of oil markets.

To acquire Covestro, ADNOC will offer €62 per share. This represents a 54 percent premium over Covestro’s stock price before initial speculation about a potential deal began in June 2023, and a 21 percent premium to the closing price on 23 June 2024, the last share price prior to Covestro announcing the beginning of the confirmatory due diligence and the start of concrete negotiations. The transaction will be financed through ADNOC’s available cash.

According to ADNOC, the transaction is key to the firm’s international growth strategy as it aims to become a top-five chemicals player globally. A former unit of Bayer, Covestro manufactures polymer materials for construction and engineering processes. Its products are used in sectors such as sports and telecommunications, as well as in the chemical industry.

The deal also saw ADNOC sign an investment agreement under which it pledged to provide additional funding by buying €1.17bn worth of new Covestro shares from a capital increase at an offer price of €62, which Covestro will use to foster the further implementation of its growth strategy.

“We are convinced that the agreement reached today with ADNOC International is in the best interest of Covestro, our employees, our shareholders, and all other stakeholders,” said Markus Steilemann, chief executive of Covestro. “With ADNOC International’s support, we will have an even stronger foundation for sustainable growth in highly attractive sectors and can make an even greater contribution to the green transformation. We regard ADNOC International as a financially strong and long-term oriented partner with whom we will further drive our successful ‘Sustainable Future’ strategy in all market conditions. Our complementary growth strategies, shared commitment to advanced technologies, innovation and sustainability are key cornerstones of our partnership.”

“As a global leader and industrial pioneer in chemicals, Covestro brings unmatched expertise in high-tech specialty chemicals and materials, using advanced technologies including AI,” said Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, managing director and group chief executive of ADNOC. “This strategic partnership is a natural fit and aligns seamlessly with ADNOC’s ongoing smart growth and future proofing strategy and our vision to become a top 5 global chemicals company. It represents a pivotal step for both organizations and embodies our disciplined approach to investing in strategic assets that drive long-term value and unlock new growth opportunities, while reinforcing our commitment to diversifying ADNOC’s portfolio. Our aligned strategies uniquely position us to meet the growing global demand for energy and chemical products, while accelerating the transition to a circular economy.”

News: Abu Dhabi's ADNOC to buy German chemicals firm Covestro for $16 bln

L&G exits Cala Group for $1.8bn

BY Richard Summerfield

Legal and General (L&G) is to sell its UK housebuilder Cala Group to investment groups Sixth Street Partners and Patron Capital in a $1.8bn deal, as part of a plan to slim down and focus on its main operations.

The deal will see L&G receive around £500m when the deal closes, which is expected to happen before the end of the year, and the rest of the cash over five years. The company plans to reinvest the funds in its wider operations, as well as supporting future shareholder returns. L&G paid more than £315m to buy Patron’s majority stake in Cala in 2018. Patron formerly owned Cala alongside L&G but in 2018 sold its stake in the company at an equity valuation of £605m.

“Today’s announcement is excellent news for Cala,” said Kevin Whitaker, chief executive of Cala. “This investment by Sixth Street and Patron demonstrates their confidence in Cala’s business plan and further potential. We look forward to developing a strong partnership with Sixth Street and reigniting the excellent relationship we shared with Patron between 2013 and 2018. I would like to thank Legal & General for their support since they first invested in Cala. With their backing, Cala has successfully tripled the number of homes we build each year, whilst revenue and profits have grown five- and ten-fold respectively.”  

“Cala has a bright future and we are proud to be entering this new chapter as stewards of a company with such a deep history and long track record of sustainable growth,” said Julian Salisbury, co-chief investment officer of Sixth Street. “We, together with Patron, look forward to continuing to support Cala and its management team, not only with capital but also with the significant resources of our London-based real estate investment team led by Giulio Passanisi.” 

“We are pleased to be able to back the Cala business once again,” said Keith Breslauer, managing director and founder of Patron Capital. “Cala is one of the UK’s leading housebuilders with a best-in-class landbank and a focus on building high-quality homes, being consistently ranked five-star for customer service. Furthermore, Cala is also a people business with a strong corporate culture and a business we know well, and we look forward to working closely with Cala’s impressive management team and our partner, Sixth Street, to further build the business and help tackle the undersupply of homes in the UK.” 

“This transaction demonstrates continued momentum in executing our strategy, simplifying our portfolio to enable a sharper focus on our core, synergistic businesses,” said António Simões, group chief executive of L&G. “Cala has been an important part of L&G for over a decade, with profits increasing ten-fold since our initial investment in 2013. The sale announced today will provide capital to deliver our strategic goals of sustainable growth alongside enhanced returns for shareholders. I’d like to thank the whole Cala team for their contribution to the Group and wish them every success in the future.”

News: Legal & General sells UK housebuilder CALA Group in $1.8 bln deal