By Dipo Olowookere
Shares of Dangote Flour Mills Plc appreciated on Tuesday by 9.81 percent following information that Olam International Limited was proposing to acquire 100 percent equity stake in the company for the sum of N130 billion.
At the last trading session on Thursday, April 18, 2019, shares of the flour milling firm was exchanged at N10.70k per unit, at the close of business on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, they went up to N11.75k per share.
Before yesterday’s announcement, there had been huge trading activities around Dangote Flour, making some investors suspicious of something.
Business Post observed that on April 11, 2019, the company sold a total of 161,182 units of its share at N8 each, but the next day, 1.9 million units of the stock were traded at N8.40k per unit.
When market resumed for trading on Monday, April 15, 2019, shares of the Dangote Flour rose to N9.20k with a total of 1.6 million units sold. The next day, investors traded 2.6 million equities of the company and the price rose to N10.10k per share.
On April 17, the shares rose to N10.40k with a total of 8.6 million units sold and on Thursday, April 18, 2.6 million units were traded with the share price closing at N10.70k.
Yesterday, the company 8.7 million units of its shares and the share value settled at N11.75k each.
In a statement on Tuesday, Olam explained that proposed transaction would include Dangote Flour’s five strategically located facilities engaged in flour and pasta manufacturing, as well as its logistics capabilities including access to the ports of Apapa and Calabar.
It further said the acquisition was part of its strategy to strengthen its portfolio by investing in proven businesses where it has consistently performed and gained market leading positions.
“The acquisition of DFM supports the strategy of the grain and animal feed business, one of Olam’s prioritised platforms for growth, to expand our wheat milling capacity in high-growth markets, such as Nigeria,” said K.C. Suresh, Managing Director and CEO of Olam Grains and Animal Feed, stated.
“We are confident about the growth prospects in this country and this acquisition, doubling our installed capacity here, is evidence of our long-term commitment to the Nigerian economy.
“Since 2010, when we first acquired Crown Flour Mills in Nigeria, Olam has invested in and grown a world class wheat milling franchise with a strong regional footprint across four countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Bringing together Olam and DFM would provide enhanced manufacturing capacity and create synergies with our existing business to deliver improved products to meet customers’ needs in the market,” he added.
Olam said the demand for high-quality flour is expected to continue to grow, driven by increased consumption of convenient and affordable wheat-based products, such as bakery, snacks and pasta, which are popular amongst many Nigerian consumers.
The company noted that its combination with Dangote Flour’s complementary manufacturing footprint would allow a broader reach across the Nigerian population, adding that it would further leverage its strengths and scale in global sourcing, freight, risk management and operational excellence to deliver operational and cost efficiencies which in turn would deliver higher value to the Nigerian consumers by supplying them food staples manufactured in Nigeria, at a lower cost.
Adedapo Adesanya