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Cineworld said on Monday the deal, which values Cineplex at $2.1
billion including debt, would involve it seeking $2.3 billion in
loans, sending shares of the FTSE-250 <.FTMC> member down as
much as 9% and erasing early gains.
The C$34 ($25.56) per share offer is at a premium of 42% to the
Toronto-based company's closing price on Friday.
While cinemas rely on big movie releases to generate gains,
streaming services like Netflix <NFLX.O> and Amazon's <AMZN.O>
Prime Video are invading that space with direct to stream movies
or releasing movies within a few weeks of their cinema debut.
"It (Cineworld) is effectively betting that Hollywood studios
will consistently release films we all want to see, and that a
recession won't hurt demand for a trip to the flicks," AJ Bell
investment director Russ Mould said.
"If this doesn't turn out to be the case then Cineworld could
start to sink under the weight of its debt."
Cineworld's adjusted net debt stood at $3.3 billion as at June
30, which was 3.3 times adjusted earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).
It said it would focus on capital allocation to bring down its
net debt to EBITDA ratio to around three times by end of fiscal
2021. The ratio is a key measure which can tell investors how
long a company would take to repay its debt.
CANADIAN BOX OFFICE
Earlier this month, Cineworld hinted at slightly lower annual
performance and the deal comes nearly two years after its $3.6
billion acquisition of Regal cinemas, which made it the world's
second largest theater operator by number of screens.
The Cineplex deal would add 165 cinemas and 1,695 screens to
Cineworld's network of 9,498 screens across 786 sites.
Currently, U.S.-based AMC Entertainment Holdings <AMC.N> is the
world's largest cinema operator. It has about 11,000 screens in
1,000 theaters, according to its website.
"We see the cinema industry as broadly stable and are therefore
positive about today's earnings-enhancing acquisition ...
although the debt level does make us grip the edge of our seat,"
Peel Hunt analysts said in a note.
The deal also allows Cineworld to tap into the Canadian box
office which grossed about $770 million last year. Cineplex has
a 75% share of this market.
"Our immediate post-acquisition objectives will be to combine
Cineplex with our U.S. business," Cineworld Chairman Anthony
Bloom said.
CEO Moshe Greidinger said on a call with analysts that he does
not expect the deal to face any antitrust issues since Cineworld
has no existing businesses in Canada.
Cineworld's largest shareholder Global City Theatres B.V. - with
a stake of about 28% - has agreed to back the deal.
(Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru;
editing by Jason Neely and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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