Independent Adviser Values Hellaby Shares in a $3.60 to $4.12 Range
Independent Directors Recommend Shareholders REJECT Bapcor’s Offer
View the Hellaby Target Company Statement and accompanying documents here https://nzx.com/markets/NZSX/securities/HBY/announcements
Hellaby Holdings Limited (NZX: HBY) advises that its Independent Directors unanimously recommend that shareholders
REJECT the BapcorTakeover Offer made on 21 October 2016. The reasons for the recommendation are set out in full in the
Target Company Statement, which incorporates the Independent Adviser’s Report prepared by Grant Samuel & Associates Limited.
Bapcor’s Offer of $3.30 for each Hellaby share is significantly below the Independent Adviser’s valuation range of $3.60
to $4.12 per share and below the Independent Directors’ own view of fair value.
The Independent Directors believe the Offer Price fails to reflect the full value of Hellaby and, in particular, its
Automotive Group. The Independent Directors believe the Automotive Group has a stand-alone value of at least $350
million, excluding the significant synergies and other benefits that would be gained by Bapcor from a merger of the two
businesses.
In addition, the Independent Directors believe the Offer price does not fully value Hellaby’s other Groups, Resource
Services and Footwear, or reflect the considerable opportunity for future profitable growth under Hellaby’s recently
communicated Group strategy.
In forming their recommendation to REJECT the Offer, the Independent Directors have had regard to a number of factors
including the merits analysis in the Independent Adviser’s Report, the assumptions and other matters addressed in detail
in the Target Company Statement.
The Target Company Statement is available on the Hellaby website at www.hellabyholdings.co.nz. The printing and mailing process is underway and printed documents will be dispatched to shareholders on 4 November
2016.
FY 2017 Financial Outlook
Included in the Target Company Statement are Board approved full year FY 2017 earnings forecasts for each of Hellaby’s
continuing business groups - Automotive, Resource Services and Footwear. These forecasts have been used by the
Independent Adviser as part of its valuation analysis.
While Hellaby’s Directors are not in a position to provide detailed guidance for the Group, the FY 2017 trading profit
(excluding the gain on Equipment Group sale and the abnormal Footwear Group restructuring costs) is forecast to be
significantly ahead of the FY 2016 year.
The Board has also provided additional earnings guidance for the Automotive Group, with Trading EBITDA forecast to grow
from $26.8 million in FY 2016 to $31.1 million in FY 2017 and up to $35-$40 million in FY 2018 (a compound annual growth
rate of 14% to 22%).
First Half FY 2017
Hellaby’s Net Profit After Tax for the first half of FY 2017 to 31 December 2016 will include a transactional gain of
around $30 million from the recent sale of the Equipment Group.
Earnings results for the first half of FY 2017 compared to the FY 2016 first half period will reflect:
• Full period earnings from Premier Auto Trade (acquired 1 May 2016) and TBS Group (acquired 1 July 2016);
• Discontinuation of contributions following the sale of the Equipment Group on 30 September 2016, which means there is
only three months of earnings from this Group in the FY 2017 half year period;
• The abnormal costs associated with implementation of the restructure and redundancy programme in the Footwear Group;
and
• Continuing soft market conditions and trading for Contract Resources, with initiatives underway to improve
performance.
There is no benefit in accepting early.
Hellaby is aware that Bapcor representatives are canvassing Hellaby shareholders in connection with its Takeover Offer.
The Independent Directors strongly recommend that shareholders wait to receive, and then carefully read and consider,
the Target Company Statement including the Independent Adviser’s Report, before making a decision. Shareholders are
encouraged to seek professional independent and qualified financial advice if they are in doubt as to how to respond.
Consistent with the Independent Directors’ recommendation, all of Hellaby’s directors and senior management intend to
REJECT Bapcor’s Offer in respect of all of the Hellaby shares that they hold or control.
As the Offer must remain open until at least 20 December 2016, there is no advantage in early acceptance and in fact
there are significant potential disadvantages if accepted early.
The Independent Directors reiterate their recommendation that shareholders REJECT Bapcor’s Offer and recommend that all
shareholders read the Target Company Statement including the Independent Adviser’s Report which accompanies this
announcement.
ENDS