(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Berkshire Hathaway’s plan to make an additional investment in Canadian lender Home Capital Group in exchange for shares priced well-below the market price has been soundly rejected by Home Capital’s shareholders.
The investment would have increased Berkshire’s stake from 20% to 38.4% in exchange for shares priced at C$10.30 per share.
Home Capital’s Chairwoman Brenda Eprile announced the results of a special meeting of shareholders had 88.79% of the votes cast rejected the proposal with only 11.21% voting for it.
In June, Berkshire through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Columbia Insurance Company, made an initial investment of C$153,225,739 to acquire 16,044,580 common shares on a private placement basis, representing an approximate 19.99% equity stake in Home Capital on a post-issuance basis (25% on a pre-issuance basis).
The shareholders rejection does not effect a C$2 billion credit facility that Berkshire supplied to shore up the lender after a run on deposits in may left it on the verge of collapse.
© 2017 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.