Sydney, Oct 6 - Australian grain handling and marketing firm GrainCorp Ltd unveiled a $655 million deal on Tuesday to buy United Malt Holdings (UMH), the world's fourth-largest commercial malt-maker.
The acquisition, to be partly funded by an issue of new GrainCorp shares at A$5.65 each, will transform GrainCorp into an international agribusiness with operations in Australia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, the firm said.
GrainCorp shares last traded at A$8.39.
"It will strengthen GrainCorp's core business, allow us to reduce the seasonal volatility of our earnings and help us to attain our strategic objective of sustained and profitable long-term growth," GrainCorp Chairman Don Taylor said in a statement.
The deal is part of the rapid consolidation of Australia's grain industry, after a decades-old wheat-marketing monopoly ended in last year, setting off a scramble for access to supplies, silos and transport capacity in the world's fourth-largest wheat-exporting nation.
Last month, former monopoly AWB Ltd said it was talking to a major global commodities firm to team up on selling grains globally.
Canadian grain handler Viterra paid $1.4 billion for Australian wheat and barley exporter ABB Grains Ltd this year.
UMH supplies malt for use in the production of beer and whisky to some of the world's largest brewers and distillers. It operates 14 malt houses and produces about 1 million metric tonnes of malt a year.
GrainCorp will fund the acquisition through a 9-for-10 issue of new shares, a separate A$100 million placement of new stock and a $200 million debt facility. The placement and offer are fully underwritten by Credit Suisse (Australia).