Sao Paulo, Sept 23 - Brazil's Cosan SA said on Monday it will consider partnerships and swapping shares with other companies rather than paying cash for mills in future deals in the Brazilian sugar and ethanol market.
After years of aggressive growth based mainly on mill acquisitions, Cosan, Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol group, said its existing cashflow has been earmarked for projects that were announced already.
"Eventually, we could be available to look at acquisitions, mergers through the swap of shares," said Cosan's director of finance and investor relations, Paulo Diniz.
"As shares' prices in general are very depreciated at this moment, certainly big mills' owners know well the upside of shares and could be interested in receiving Cosan's shares as part of the payment," he told reporters on a conference call.
He said this kind of deal would have to be done with "bigger mills or groups," but added Cosan was not in advanced talks with any company.
"One thing that would be a little harder today would be to look at small mills which are just interested in cash payments as our cash is already planned for ongoing projects," he said.
Since 2007, when its holding company, Cosan Ltd , raised about $1 billion in an initial public offering in New York, the Brazilian group has announced several projects including gre 536870913 1701733993
In April, it agreed to buy ExxonMobil's assets in Brazil, for $826 million.
PRIVATE SUBSCRIPTION
Cosan SA's board of directors approved on Friday an increase of 880 million reais ($491.6 million) of the company's share capital by private subscription, which will raise the company's share capital to 3.8 billion reais ($2.12 billion).
A total of 55 million shares will be issued, corresponding to an increase of 20.18 percent in the number of shares. The issue price is 16 reais for each common share.
The company will also grant a subscription warrant for each new share.
Cosan's shares in New York fell 15.38 percent to $8.42 in afternoon trading. On the Sao Paulo stock exchange, the company's shares dropped 5.49 percent to 15.33 reais.
Diniz said the share issue sought to guarantee money for ongoing projects, "to assure total tranquility to Cosan's operational activities and important investments at a time the world faces one of its worst financial crisis ever."
He said its holding company, Cosan Ltd, could subscribe all remaining shares.
"We had already transferred part of Cosan Ltd resources (from the IPO) to Cosan SA in January and our aim now, especially facing the international market situation, is to send these additional resources... though they will be used only next year," he said.
Diniz said the subscription "theoretically does not depend on the moment we are living."
Cosan's board also approved last Friday the hiring of a $500 million stand-by financing line with Brazilian financial group Bradesco, to be used for ExxonMobil's assets if necessary.
The board of directors also approved the possible hiring of a trade finance credit line of up to $300 million. ($1=1.79 reais)