easyJet receives new £7.15 takeover proposal from Apollo
Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown:
“easyJet shareholders are strapping in for an exciting ride as Apollo enters the race to land the orange airline company. easyJet’s management team had previously warmed to a fifth takeover proposal from private equity firm Castlelake, and an agreement in principle was in place on the key terms of a cash offer of £6.90 per share. But Apollo has edged ahead of its rival bidder with an offer of £7.15 per easyJet share, marking a premium of around 22% to yesterday’s closing price.
Apollo said that it believes easyJet has significant long-term growth potential and supports its existing strategy of strengthening its low-cost carrier model by upgrading its fleet to newer, more efficient planes. This is an expensive task for any airline, and easyJet’s ambitions could be sped up by access to new capital and the longer-term strategic planning that’s afforded to private companies.
Apollo’s offer is now the preferred option and the one that easyJet’s management would recommend to shareholders. But the deal’s not off the runway yet, with Apollo having until 7 August to decide whether to make a formal bid. In that time, rival bidder Castlelake could still come to the table with improved terms.”
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