Naturgy gets reward for power and renewables pivot
Australian fund manager makes a premium bid based on the firm’s move away from gas, LNG and international expansion
Shares in Spanish utility Naturgy jumped by more than 15pc in a single day in late January after Australia’s IFM declared it intended to make an offer for up to 22.69pc of its share capital. Naturgy’s shares rose by almost €3 ($3.6) from just over €19.20/share to almost €22.20/share on 26 January. IFM’s offer is €23/share, representing, it says, a premium of almost 20pc to Naturgy’s pre-offer price. The offer has been declined by two of Naturgy’s largest strategic investors and may also be rejected by its largest single shareholder, bank La Caixa. But IFM’s bid, which is conditional on it being able to buy a minimum 17pc stake, “has a high chance of succeeding” with enough holders of Naturgy
Also in this section
14 March 2025
Gas production slumped to an eight-year low in 2024, but new discoveries and partnership with Cyprus paint a more positive outlook
13 March 2025
Gas will become a more important part of the energy mix longer-term, raising the alarm for much-need investment as supply struggles to keep up with demand
13 March 2025
The spectre of Saudi Arabia’s 2020 market share strategy haunts a suffering OPEC+ as Trump upends the energy world
12 March 2025
Petronas-Eni eyes joint venture to prioritise key gas developments, with huge opportunities for growth in Indonesia and a steady Malaysia portfolio
