Amsterdam, Oct 5 - Dutch grocer Sperwer said on Monday it intended to make a 516 million euro ($754 million) public offer for supermarkets group Super de Boer NV, trumping an earlier 480 million euros ($702 million) bid from Dutch peer Jumbo.
The intended offer from Sperwer came after Jumbo said on Monday it had reached a deal with Schuitema, owned by private equity firm CVC, in which it would sell about 80 Super de Boer stores to Schuitema if its offer for Super de Boer was successful.
"Sperwer ... confirms that it intends to make a public offer for all shares of Super de Boer for an amount of 4.50 euros ($6.58) per share in cash," Sperwer said in a statement.
Super de Boer had earlier said Sperwer intended to make a public offer, but added that Sperwer was also prepared to acquire all of the assets and liabilities of Super de Boer.
If the latter scenario provides a better transaction structure, Sperwer said in a separate statement the offer price would be 4.50 euros per share minus any possible dividend tax.
Speculation had risen in recent days that Sperwer and Schuitema were preparing a joint bid for Super de Boer to trump Jumbo's offer and shares in Super de Boer fell after news of the compromise deal between Schuitema and privately-held Jumbo.
Shares of Super de Boer, 57 percent owned by French-based Casino, later reversed losses after Super de Boer said that cooperatively owned Sperwer intended to make a bid and closed 7.1 percent higher at 4.45 euros.
RIPE FOR CONSOLIDATION
Super de Boer said it would assess the intended Sperwer offer, which was still subject to due diligence, but could not provide any further information and added it had been told by Schuitema that it would not make an offer for Super de Boer.
Casino declined to comment.
Besides the sale of 80 stores to Schuitema, Jumbo also said it would enter into a purchasing agreement with Schuitema, adding it underscored the attractiveness of its 4.20 euros per share offer for Super de Boer.
Schuitema owns the C1000 supermarket chain in the Netherlands, while Sperwer runs Plus supermarkets.
The bids from both Jumbo and Sperwer for Super de Boer will step up competition with Dutch market leader Albert Heijn, owned by Ahold NV, and provide a boost for Casino which previously indicated it was looking to raise about 1 billion euros from selling non-core assets by the end of 2010.
"The Dutch market is ripe for consolidation .... Ahold has a 30 percent share while all of the others have got 10 percent," Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Christopher Hogbin said.
Sperwer said financing for its bid -- which it added represents a 56 percent premium over the two-month average closing price of Super de Boer's shares prior to Jumbo's bid on Sept. 18 -- is completely guaranteed by its banks.
Although Jumbo has said it is in 30-day exclusive talks with Super de Boer about its offer, Sperwer said it had invited Super de Boer management to discuss its intended offer.