Question

The firm Hill is planning to acquire Dale, another firm in the same industry. Relevant financial information for the two firms is shown below.

	Hill	Date
Price Per share, $	4.50	1.90
Number of shares	28,000,000	10,500,000
Dividend payout ratio	0.65	0.20

Both firms are financed entirely by equity. The acquisition will result in expected cost savings for the merged (post-acquisition) firm with a total present value of $38 million.

(a) Assume for this part of the question that Hill’s shares are valued at $4.50 each. How many new shares would Hill issue to Dale's shareholders in exchange for the whole 10.5 million of Dale's shares? What is the total value and price per share of the merged firm? Should Hill pay for the acquisition on this basis? Explain briefly.

Assume now that Dale's shareholders will agree to the acquisition for a premium of $4.05 million.

(b) What is the minimum number of shares Hill should offer, such that Dale's shareholders will participate in the acquisition?

(c) Assume Hill decides to acquire Dale by issuing the minimum number of shares as in part (b). In the first year the total earnings of the merged firm will be $15.87 million. Hill’s dividend payout ratio will be maintained in the merged firm. What change in dividend payment will a former Dale shareholder get in the first year of the merged firm, if they had 1000 shares in Dale before the acquisition?

(d) What does clientele theory predict about the relationship between a firm’s value and a change in its dividend policy? Does this theory have any implications for the success of the acquisition? Explain. (150 words)

Answer 1

a)

= 10.5m X 1.9 per share

= $19.95m

Total amount to be paid to the shareholders of Dale at a premium of 4.05m :

Total amount = 19.95m + 4.05m + 38m = $62m

Market price / share of Hill = 24m ÷ 4.5/share = 5.33m

Total Value of Hill

= 28m shares x 4.5/share +24m + 38m

= 126m+24m+ 38m= 188m

market price per share is = Total value of HILL

No of shares in Hill

= 188m = 5.64 per share

28m shares+5.33m shares

b)

No of share = 19.95m÷ 4.5per share = 4.4333m shares

c)

Change in percentage of dividend receipt to shareholders of Dale

EPS of Hill after merger = 15.87m$÷ ( 28m+4.43333m) sh

= 0.49 per share.

Dividend per share = 0.49 per share X 0.65 = 0.3185 per share.

% of change = (0.3185-0.2)÷0.2 = 59.25%

Change in dividend = 0.3185 x 59.25% x 1000shares

= $188.71