02 Aug 21. The boards of directors of Parker-Hannifin Corporation (Parker) and Meggitt PLC (Meggitt) are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Meggitt by Parker.
Under the terms of the Acquisition, each Scheme Shareholder will receive for each Meggitt Share: 800 pence in cash valuing Meggitt’s existing issued and to be issued ordinary share capital at approximately £6.3bn on a fully diluted basis.
The price of 800 pence per Meggitt Share represents:
- a premium of approximately 70.5 per cent. to the Closing Price of 469.1 pence per Meggitt Share on 30 July 2021, the last business day before this announcement; and
- a premium of approximately 73.8 per cent. to the volume-weighted average Closing Price of 460.2 pence per Meggitt Share for the six-month period ended on 30 July 2021, the last business day before this announcement.
- It is intended that the Acquisition will be implemented by means of a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act.
Background to and reasons for the Acquisition
Parker believes Meggitt is very well aligned with Parker and the goals of The Win Strategy™, Parker’s global business system, representing a unified strategic vision for its team members worldwide. Parker believes that the Acquisition would be strategically and culturally compelling, and enhance the future prospects of the Combined Group within global aerospace and defence industries, for the following key reasons:
- Meggitt is an international group headquartered in the United Kingdom and is a high-value, leading provider of proprietary and differentiated aerospace & defence technologies with over 70 per cent. of revenue from sole-source positions.
- Meggitt, like Parker, has a rich heritage in the aerospace and defence segments with a strong culture, underpinned by a number of core values focusing on teamwork, engagement, integrity, operational excellence, and innovation.
- Meggitt has a global brand, a complementary business mix, an impressive international base of blue-chip customers and a leading product portfolio.
- Meggitt has been transforming its business over the last four years through its focused strategy, streamlining its portfolio, investing in new technologies, and growing through its customer-aligned divisions.
- Meggitt and Parker are complementary across diverse portfolios of products.
- The acquisition of Meggitt nearly doubles the size of Parker’s Aerospace Systems segment.
- Parker believes the Combined Group will be able to provide a stronger value proposition for customers. Parker also believes the Combined Group is poised for strong growth, supported by the commercial aerospace recovery, and will be able to maximise its potential by building on a combined product portfolio and geographic footprint and by sharing operational and functional best practices.
- Meggitt and Parker share a heritage as established manufacturers with significant presence across the UK, serving as trusted defence suppliers to the UK and US governments, and governments across the EU and globally. The UK is an important market to Parker and a key part of its business. Parker is a highly experienced acquirer with prior experience of successfully integrating UK companies in the industrial sector (including a publicly listed company) into its business. These continue to thrive within the Parker Group.
- Parker expects the combination to be earnings accretive in the first full 12 months after closing. The Acquisition is expected to drive incremental sales growth and cash flow accretion, and to deliver a high single-digit ROIC in year 5 which should grow thereafter.[1] Parker remains committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet and investment grade credit rating.
Binding commitments to HM Government
- Recognising the importance of Meggitt’s rich UK heritage and relationships with its key stakeholders, Parker has agreed with Meggitt that it will offer a number of legally binding commitments to HM Government, including to:
- ensure that Meggitt will continue to meet its contractual obligations in respect of goods and services supplied to or for the benefit of HM Government,
- maintain its existing technology and manufacturing that resides in the UK for the benefit of HM Government, and (iii) ensure that Meggitt continues to comply with and enforce security protocols prescribed by HM Government and allows for officials to inspect Meggitt’s premises to verify compliance, in each case unless HM Government otherwise consents;
- ensure that the majority of the board of directors of Meggitt will be UK nationals;
- maintain Meggitt’s UK headquarters, operate each of Meggitt’s existing divisions under the combined Parker-Meggitt name and ensure all four current divisions of Meggitt remain in place;
- maintain Meggitt’s existing R&D, product engineering and direct manufacturing labour headcount in the UK at no less than current levels, while increasing by at least ten per cent. the number of overall apprenticeship opportunities currently offered by Meggitt in the UK;
- at least maintain Meggitt’s existing level of R&D expenditure in the UK and, subject to normal levels of aerospace industry growth and activity, increase this by at least 20 per cent. over the next five years; and
- commit to Meggitt’s targets of reducing net carbon emissions by 50 per cent. by 2025 and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 across the existing Meggitt business.
Meggitt pension schemes
Parker is delighted to confirm that it has entered into a legally binding memorandum of understanding with the trustee of the Meggitt UK DB Pension Plan which sets out the parties’ agreement with respect to the future funding of the Meggitt UK DB Pension Plan.
Recommendation
The directors of Meggitt, who have been so advised by Rothschild & Co and Morgan Stanley as to the financial terms of the Acquisition, consider the terms of the Acquisition to be fair and reasonable. In providing their advice, Rothschild & Co and Morgan Stanley have taken into account the commercial assessments of the directors of Meggitt.
In addition to the financial terms of the Acquisition, the directors of Meggitt have carefully considered Parker’s plans for the Meggitt business under Parker’s ownership, including the complementary cultures of Parker and Meggitt, the alignment of both Groups’ long-term strategies and the commitments Parker has agreed with Meggitt to offer to HM Government to safeguard the interests of Meggitt’s key stakeholders.
Accordingly, the directors of Meggitt intend unanimously to recommend that Meggitt Shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme at the Court Meeting and the Resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting as the directors of Meggitt have irrevocably undertaken to do in respect of those Meggitt Shares they hold and in respect of which they control the voting rights (representing approximately 0.05 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital of Meggitt on 30 July 2021 (being the last business day before this announcement)).
Information on Parker
Parker is a leading worldwide diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets.
Parker has a long and successful history in the UK, having operated in the UK for over 50 years, and currently employs more than 2,100 team members in 18 facilities across the country.
Comments on the Acquisition
Commenting on today’s announcement, Tom Williams, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Parker said: “The combination of Parker and Meggitt is an exciting opportunity for both companies’ team members, customers, shareholders and communities. We strongly believe Parker is the right home for Meggitt. Together, we can better serve our customers through innovation, accelerated R&D and a complementary portfolio of aerospace and defense technologies. We are committed to being a responsible steward of Meggitt and are pleased our acquisition has the full support of Meggitt’s Board. We fully understand these responsibilities and are making a number of strong commitments that reflect them. During our longstanding presence in the UK we have built great respect for Meggitt, its heritage, and its place in British industry. Our own journey over more than 100 years has taught us the importance of a strong culture and reputation.”
Commenting on today’s announcement, Sir Nigel Rudd, Chairman of Meggitt, said: “Meggitt is one of the world’s foremost aerospace, defence and energy businesses, leading the market with a strong portfolio of technology and manufacturing capabilities, and holding a significant amount of intellectual property. Whilst Meggitt is currently pursuing a strong, standalone strategy which will deliver value to shareholders over the long-term, Parker’s offer provides the opportunity to significantly accelerate and de-risk those plans, while continuing to deliver for shareholders. Parker’s offer also includes far-reaching commitments that will ensure that Meggitt remains a significant presence in the UK, increasing investment in research and development, and increasing the number of apprenticeship opportunities. The Board of Meggitt is confident that Parker will be a responsible steward of Meggitt and unanimously recommends Parker’s offer.”
Tony Wood, Chief Executive of Meggitt, said: “Bringing together the Meggitt and Parker businesses will provide increased benefit to the UK with the provision of technologies, products and capabilities through Meggitt, and a leading aerospace business in Parker. The offer from Parker is an endorsement of the work undertaken to transform the Meggitt Group in recent years, and the Combined Group will maximise the opportunities for future growth and profitability with a shared commitment to operational excellence, allowing us to continue to invest in our people, products and services for customers worldwide for years to come.”
Implementation, Conditions and Timing
The terms of the Acquisition will be put to Meggitt Shareholders at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting. The Court Meeting and the General Meeting are required to enable Meggitt Shareholders to consider and, if thought fit, vote in favour of the Scheme and the Resolutions to implement the Scheme. In order to become effective, the Scheme must be approved by a majority in number of Scheme Shareholders, present and voting at the Court Meeting, whether in person or by proxy, representing 75 per cent. or more in value of the Scheme Shares voted. In addition, a special resolution implementing the Scheme must be passed by Meggitt Shareholders representing at least 75 per cent. of votes cast at the General Meeting.
The Acquisition is conditional on a number of antitrust and regulatory approvals and Parker will make further announcements in respect of such approvals as appropriate.
It is expected that the Scheme Document, containing further information about the Acquisition and notices of the Court Meeting and General Meeting, together with the Forms of Proxy, will be sent to Meggitt Shareholders as soon as practicable and in any event within 28 days of this announcement. It is expected that the Acquisition will complete during Q3 of 2022, subject to the satisfaction (or, where applicable, waiver) of the Conditions and certain further terms. An expected timetable of principal events will be included in the Scheme Document.
The person responsible for making this announcement on behalf of Meggitt is Marina Thomas, Company Secretary.
Parker will hold a press conference at 10.00 a.m. BST today. To pre-register for the conference call, please go to the following link:
https://www.incommglobalevents.com/registration/client/8419/brunswick/
(Source: proactiveinvestors.co.uk)