Glencore boss rebuffs Anglo speculation

030914 Glencore Xstrata CEO Ivan Glasenberg briefing the media in Melrose Arch North of Johannesburg.photo by Simphiwe Mbokazi 4

030914 Glencore Xstrata CEO Ivan Glasenberg briefing the media in Melrose Arch North of Johannesburg.photo by Simphiwe Mbokazi 4

Published Sep 3, 2014

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Johannesburg - Glencore chief executive Ivan Glasenberg rebuffed speculation about a possible takeover of Anglo American, saying the world’s third-biggest miner is only interested in assets it already trades.

“With Anglo, we don’t trade diamonds, if that gives you a good idea, and we don’t trade platinum,” Glasenberg told reporters in Johannesburg today.

“We will only look at assets which we trade, which we market,” he said in response to a separate question.

Glencore, the world’s biggest exporter of power-station coal, completed the $29 billion (R310 billion) all-share takeover of Xstrata last year to add coal, copper and nickel mines.

Anglo American, the largest platinum producer, also controls copper, coal, iron ore, nickel and diamond mines and has a market value of about $36 billion.

Anglo chief executive Mark Cutifani is open to takeover offers, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, citing an interview with the Australian.

“Cutifani said someone’s going to take him over, he’s happy,” Glasenberg quipped.

A Glencore bid for Anglo American is increasingly possible as the stock widens its outperformance over its smaller rival, Jefferies analyst Chris LaFemina wrote in a report today.

‘Compelling Target’

“This outperformance, combined with Glencore’s completion of the full integration of the Xstrata acquisition and a strong strategic rationale for Glencore to acquire Anglo, should make Anglo a compelling target for Glencore some time next year,” LaFemina said.

“If Glencore offers Anglo a significant premium, this could be a compelling deal for Anglo American shareholders as well.”

A Glencore offer of 5.3 of its shares for each Anglo share would imply a 25 percent premium to the current share price, according to Jefferies.

The combination would generate cost savings of $1.5 billion annually.

Regulatory approvals could present a hurdle, LaFemina said.

“Glencore would greatly increase its trading market share in some key commodity markets, including copper, coal and nickel,” LaFemina said.

“Anglo would also give Glencore a strong presence in the seaborne iron ore market which we would argue is an ideal market for commodity traders.” - Bloomberg News

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