TWO former senior employees of UOB Kay Hian Private Limited (UOBKH) were charged on Wednesday for allegedly lying to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in relation to reports on a then Catalist aspirant. Lan Kang Ming, 38, and Wee Toon Lee, 34, each face three charges of providing MAS with false information in October 2018 in relation to due diligence reports on an unidentified company applying to list on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange. MAS said in a media statement on Wednesday that it was performing an onsite inspection of UOBKH between June and August 2018, to assess the latter's controls, policies and procedures in relation to its role as an issue manager for Initial Public Offering (IPOs). During the examination, Lan and Wee were said to have provided different versions of a due diligence report relating to background checks on a company applying to be listed on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange. UOBKH had acted as the issue manager
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Claire Huang
28 August 2015
Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp is taking a 20 per cent stake in Temasek-controlled Olam International in two separate deals totalling some S$1.53 billion, fuelling the consolidation trend in the otherwise moribund agri sector.
Under the first deal, the strategic partnership will see the Singapore mainboard-listed agri-business group issuing about 332.73 million new shares - 12 per cent of Olam’s enlarged capital - to the Japanese trader for S$915 million or S$2.75 apiece, valuing Olam at S$7.63 billion. The issue price is a premium of 54.5 per cent over the volume weighted average price of S$1.78 based on trades done on the Singapore Exchange on Aug 26 up to the trading halt at 10.05am on Aug 27. The amount raised is a new growth capital for Olam.
The issue price, which was determined through a competitive bidding process, also represents a 29.3 per cent premium over the 12-month weighted average share price.
For the second deal, Mitsubishi will acquire an 8 per cent stake in the enlarged capital for some S$611 million from the founding Kewalram Chanrai Group, leaving the latter with 4.81 per cent.
On completion of the two transactions, Mitsubishi will be the second-largest shareholder in Olam after Singapore investment company Temasek Holdings, whose stake will be diluted to 51.4 per cent from 58.4.
Temasek welcomed the deal, saying: “Mitsubishi’s strong sourcing and distribution capabilities in the food sector, under the Living Essentials Group, will add value to Olam’s long-term growth.”
Olam’s co-founder, group managing director and chief executive officer Sunny Verghese said in a conference call that the deal will present various opportunities for the two.
They will set up a joint-venture for the exclusive distribution of selected Olam products in Japan.
“Japan is an important market for very many of Olam’s platforms and with Mitsubishi’s distribution and manufacturing presence in Japan, we will be able to gain market share for the products we are selling or targeting to sell in Japan,” Mr Verghese said, adding that the deal will allow Mitsubishi to extend its footprint in Africa through Olam’s extensive operational experience in that region.
Olam will also be able to tap Mitsubishi’s expertise to take its “rice farming and milling investments in Nigeria to full potential”.
“In the Asean region, in Myanmar and Indonesia in particular, where Mitsubishi is making a significant push in food products and distribution, I think we have a role to play in providing the back end supply chain solutions for the various raw materials and ingredients they will be requiring,” said Mr Verghese.
Asked about the impact on the industry, he said that the consolidation trend remains intact and companies will look to see how they can combine to increase their market and competitive positions.
Mitsubishi is banking on the Asian population’s growing demand for food.
While commodities prices have plunged to a 16-year-low, demand for food is still strong and actual food prices have not gone down, said Olam.
The deals, announced shortly after 1am on Friday, signals Mitsubishi’s confidence in Olam, which last year had to fend off an attack from US short-seller Muddy Waters LLC and concerns over its cashflow and operations.
The news sent Olam shares to a nine-month high of S$2.16 in early trading on Friday, up 25 cents or 13.1 per cent from Thursday’s last traded price of S$1.91. The stock closed the day at S$2.07, up 16 cents or 8.4 per cent - one of its biggest single-day percentage gains in more than six years.
Citi Research has placed a “buy” call on Olam with a target price of S$2.10, while Jefferies Singapore has maintained its “buy” call at a target price of S$2.55.
Macquarie Capital Securities (Singapore), which noted that “the deal provides a strong endorsement of management’s ‘niche-leadership’ strategy and can potentially act as a halo effect to the rest of the sector”, set its target price at S$2.23.
Noble shares jumped 8.7 per cent to a morning high of 56 Singapore cents in early morning trading before closing Friday at 52 cents, up half a cent.