Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Satyam takes steps back on shareholders' resistance


Hit by the adverse market reaction, homegrown Satyam Computers called off its proposed USD 1.6-billion acquisition of two companies on Wednesday promoted by the IT major Chief Ramalinga Raju's son.

Announcing the decision to call off the acquisition of Maytas Properties and Maytas Infrastructure "in light of the setback received from the investors community", Raju said: "We have been surprised by the market reaction to this decision even though we were quite positive about the merits of the acquisition."



"However, in deference to the views expressed by many investors, we have decided to call off these acquisitions," he said.



The reversal comes within a day of the Satyam board approving the decision to acquire Maytas Properties for USD 1.3 billion and a majority 51 per cent stake in Maytas Infrastructure for USD 0.3 billion.



Shortly after the announcement was made on Tuesday evening, the US-listed company had plummeted more than 55 per cent on the American bourses reflecting rejection of the deal by the shareholders.



Even during the investors conference held after the board's approval for acquisition, Raju faced tough questions from Institutional Investors in Satyam such as Reliance Mutual

Fund, SBI Mutual Fund, Templeton Mutual Fund and CLSA, with some of them even threatening to oppose the deal.

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