Qatar is buying 6.16 percent of Iberdrola SA for 2.2 billion euros ($3 billion), helping the Spanish utility finance its Brazil operations and further diluting unwanted suitor ACS. Iberdrola, saddled with 24 billion euros of net debt, said on Monday it would issue 338 million new shares and sell them plus treasury stock at 5.63 euros each to Qatar Holding, part of the Gulf state's sovereign wealth fund.
"We believe the market will look upon this capital increase as a defensive move of Iberdrola against the entrance of ACS in its shareholding structure," broker Mirabaud said in a note to investors. Spanish builder ACS holds about 20 percent of Iberdrola and has said it plans to take its stake up to 30 percent in its drive to win a seat on the utility's board, which it is also fighting for in the courts.
Qatar has now become a bugbear for ACS's expansion plans on two fronts. The Qatar sovereign wealth fund also took a 9.1 percent stake in ACS's other buyout target, German builder Hochtief. The share issue, priced at a 5.5 percent discount to Friday's closing price, will dilute Iberdrola shareholders by 5.81 percent. The remaining 0.35 percent of Iberdrola promised to the Qataris will come from treasury stock.
Iberdrola shares gained 1.6 percent by 1302 GMT, outperforming the Spanish stock market and defying analyst expectations that the stock would fall on news of the dilution. Qatar would be a formidable opponent to any possible moves ACS might make to gain influence in Iberdrola.
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