Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Leica's worth less that US$42mm? It's interesting - 30% is more than a controlling interest in most publicly-traded companies. Once those shares are in play, you have to sell, as there is a distinct possibility that if Hermes and Leica later merge (which is fairly easy when Hermes has the controlling interest) and you didn't sell, your stock may be cancelled altogether. Or, since Leica is now "in play," Minolta or others could come in with their own tender offer(s) for 30% or more, at higher prices. The "entrepreneurial partnership" was one of the ways Daimler-Benz introduced a merger to Chrysler's shareholders. Unlike that deal, Hermes has nothing to offer Leica, at least related to Leica's core business - shall we make scarves and neckties with little Ms on them - except dilution of its brand name and a possible commemorative M6. Or, Hermes could be after the name recognition only, shut down Leica's entire inhouse manufacturing division, and subcontract all manufacturing to Japan or China. Such a deal could spell death for the M series. Do you really want Leica's future decided by a company with no photographic expertise? The fact that Leica leadership would go for such a deal points to some kind of more serious problem - like the Leica board getting ready to boot Cohn for not maintaining or increasing shareholder value. Lucien wrote: > More on: > > <http://www.leica-camera.com/unternehmen/presse/data/01907/index_e.html> > > stefan smith wrote: > > > > I'm new to the lUG, but have been reading it > > extensively for a while. Thought I'd make first > > contribution with this interesting story my agency > > (I'm a journalist) put out this morning. Maybe Hermes > > will start making handbags, or Leica will produce > > luxury fashion accessories :-) > > > > Germany-France-luxury > > French luxury group Hermes plans bid for stake in > > Leica Camera > > > > SOLMS, Germany, Nov 20 (AFP) - Hermes International > > SCA, the French maker of luxury goods, plans to launch > > a bid to buy 30 percent of Leica Camera, the German > > camera maker said on Monday. > > Hermes plans to offer 12.50 euros per share or a > > total 17 million euros (14.6 million dollars) for the > > stake in a friendly bid, Leica Camera said in a > > statement. > > A deal would strengthen a "entrepreneurial > > partnership" that the two companies plan to enter, > > said Leica Camera chairman Hanns-Peter Cohn and Hermes > > president Jean-Louis Dumas. > > The offer prices represents a premium of 30 percent > > over the average price of Leica Camera shares during > > the past three months. > > The German group said that it regarded the price as > > "attractive" and a "fair valuation" and recommended > > shareholders to accept the offer. > > The offer runs from November 22 to December 20. > > At the same time, Leica Camera published its > > earnings for the six months to September. > > The group's net loss widened to 3.43 million euros > > in the period from April to September, compared with a > > loss of 2.36 million euros a year earlier as a results > > of one-off factors and the weakness of the euro, the > > company said. > > Sales grew by 15.7 percent to 72.35 million euros. > > Measures to boost profitability plus strong > > second-half sales growth would ensure that Leica > > Camera would still post a profit for the full year, > > even if earnings growth would not be as strong as > > originally expected, it said. > > spm/hd > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! Calendar - Get organized for the holidays! > > http://calendar.yahoo.com/ > > -- > Lucien van Dievoet > Director > > United Business Institutes (UBI-Brussels) > Avenue Marnix, 20 > B-1000 Brussels - Belgium > Tel: +32-(0)2-548 04 80 > Fax: +32-(0)2-548 04 89 > E-mail: director@ubi.edu > Internet: http://www.ubi.edu > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This message is confidential; its contents do not constitute > a > commitment by UBI except where provided for in a written > agreement > between you and UBI. Any unauthorised disclosure, use or > dissemination, either whole or partial, is prohibited. If > you are not > the intended recipient of the message, please notify the > sender > immediately. > > Ce message est confidentiel ; son contenu ne représente en > aucun cas un > engagement de la part de UBI sous réserve de tout accord > conclu par > écrit entre vous et UBI. Toute publication, utilisation ou > diffusion, même partielle, doit être autorisée > préalablement. Si vous > n'êtes pas destinataire de ce message, merci d'en avertir > immédiatement > l'expéditeur.