Fertilizer giant Omnia is in talks over a potential buyout offer for all its issued ordinary shares. Operating in over 20 countries, including Zimbabwe, the diversified chemicals group confirmed the discussions in a recent announcement.
The company confirmed the potential buyout in a cautionary announcement to shareholders on Friday.
It said that while discussions are advanced, no agreement has been reached.
“There is no certainty that these discussions will result in a transaction being concluded,” the group added.
No further details about the transaction were immediately available.
“Accordingly, shareholders are advised to exercise caution when dealing in Omnia’s shares until a full announcement is made.”
This brought the company’s share price to R117.15 by 11am, its highest for the year to date.
Omnia, headquartered in Johannesburg, has a market cap of more than R16 billion on the JSE.
Spare a thought for the farmers
Its current bull run is largely on the back of surging fertiliser and chemical prices in the wake of the Middle East conflict.
In a voluntary update in August, Omnia reported that its credit rating from GCR Ratings, an affiliate of Moody’s Investors Service, remained unchanged.
The rating affirmed the company’s long-term and short-term issuer ratings of A+(ZA) and A1(ZA), with a stable outlook.
The rating came on the back of its solid operating performance in the core segments, resulting in robust earnings and cash flows, signalling part of the group’s recovery over the years.