If the deal is completed, ownership of the newly combined company is as follows:
Procter & Gamble shareholders will own ~57%.
Diamond Foods shareholders will own ~43%.
These acquisitions that have resulted in a company with a fair amount of debt for its size. The newly combined company will be taking on $ 850 million of Pringle's debt in addition to the ~ $ 550 million in debt that Diamond Foods had before the deal.
From the Diamond Foods Press Release:
"Pringles is an iconic, billion dollar snack brand with significant global manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure," said Michael J. Mendes, Chairman, President and CEO of Diamond Foods. "Our plan is to build upon the brand equity Pringles has established in over 140 countries.
Some financial estimates for the deal from later in the release...
Assuming Pringles had been owned for all of fiscal year 2011, the combined company would be expected to deliver the following estimated financial results on a pro forma basis for fiscal year 2011:
-Net sales of approximately $2.4 billion;
-Double-digit accretion to earnings per share (EPS), excluding merger and integration costs;
-Estimated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), including $25 million in synergies, of approximately $398 million to $410 million.
In addition, cash flows after investments in brands and capex is expected to increase. More from the release:
The transaction is expected to significantly increase cash flow and accelerate the de-levering of Diamond's balance sheet. Pro forma leverage at closing is projected to be below four times EBITDA, and projected to drop below three times at the end of fiscal 2013. Cash flow after brand investments and capital expenditures is expected to approach $200 million in the first full fiscal year after closing the merger.
The deal will triple Diamond's snack business and give the company a bigger overseas presence in fast-growing overseas markets.
Prior to today's transaction:
Diamond Foods had ~$ 550 million of debt, was expected to generate $ 930 million in annual revenues, and free cash flow in the $ 70-80 million range as a stand alone business. The free cash flow estimate is based upon doubling the free cash flow (net income + depreciation - capex) produced during the first 2 quarters of FY 2011. I think a reasonable but clearly rough approximation of likely future free cash flows.
(There's not much of a meaningful free cash flow track record that includes all the recent businesses acquired. Free cash flow on a trailing basis looks worse but likely understates.)
So, taken at face value, shareholders of Diamond Foods have financially gone from owning 100% of the above to 43% of a new company with the following:
Debt: $ 1.4 billion
Revenue: $ 2.4 billion
Free Cash Flow: approaching $ 200 million
Seems reasonable. I will say it's a bit odd to call this deal a way to "accelerate the de-levering" when $ 850 million of incremental debt is being added to the balance sheet. The extra scale certainly has a chance to make it easier to service that debt (while having a large well-financed majority owner in P&G certainly doesn't hurt).
With DMND trading at ~$ 63/share today, market value of the new company is ~$ 3.2 billion*. Overall, I think this deal likely makes sense for Diamond Foods shareholders if the $ 200 million in free cash flow is actually there. The deal is too small to matter much to P&G shareholders.
Diamond Foods didn't seem exactly cheap before this deal was announced. At current prices, the new company seems neither a bargain nor expensive at 16+ times those yet to be proven future free cash flows.
Adam
* Based upon the 29.1 million new shares being issued as part of this transaction added to the 22.2 million shares already outstanding.
Diamond Foods and P&G's Pringles Brand to Merge
![Diamond Foods and P&G's Pringles Brand to Merge]()
Reviewed by jembe
Published :
Rating : 4.5
Published :
Rating : 4.5