Qunar Enters into Definitive Merger Agreement for Going Private Transaction
19 October 2016 - 3:00PM
Qunar Cayman Islands Limited (NASDAQ:QUNR) (“Qunar” or the
“Company”), China’s leading mobile and online travel platform,
today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement and
plan of merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Ocean Management
Holdings Limited (“Parent”) and Ocean Management Merger Sub Limited
(“Merger Sub”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to
which Qunar will be acquired by Parent in a transaction implying an
equity value of the Company of approximately $4.44 billion.
Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective
time of the merger, each ordinary share of the Company issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger
(each a “Share”) will be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange
for the right to receive $10.13 in cash without interest, and each
American depositary share (each an “ADS”) of the Company,
representing three Shares, will be cancelled in exchange for the
right to receive $30.39 in cash without interest, except for (a)
(i) Shares (including Shares represented by ADSs) beneficially
owned by each of Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (“Ctrip”), M Strat
Holdings, L.P., Momentum Strategic Holdings, L.P. and certain other
minority existing shareholders (the “Rollover Shareholders”), (ii)
Shares (including Shares represented by ADSs) held by Parent, the
Company or any of their subsidiaries, and (iii) Shares (including
Shares represented by ADSs) held by the Depositary and reserved for
the issuance and allocation pursuant to the Company’s 2007 and 2015
share incentive plans, each of which will be cancelled and cease to
exist without any conversion thereof or consideration paid
therefor, and (b) Shares held by shareholders who have validly
exercised and not effectively withdrawn or lost their rights to
dissent from the merger pursuant to Section 238 of the Companies
Law of the Cayman Islands (the “Dissenting Shares”), which will be
cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for the right to receive
the payment of appraised fair value of the Dissenting Shares in
accordance with Section 238 of the Companies Law of the Cayman
Islands.
The merger consideration represents a premium of approximately
15% to the closing price of the Company’s ADSs on June 22, 2016,
the last trading day prior to the Company’s announcement of its
receipt of a “going-private” proposal.
Immediately following the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Parent will be beneficially
owned by Ocean Management Limited, Ctrip and the other Rollover
Shareholders. The Company’s board of directors (the “Board”),
acting upon the unanimous recommendation of a committee of
independent and disinterested directors established by the Board
(the “Special Committee”), approved the Merger Agreement and the
merger and resolved to recommend that the Company’s shareholders
vote to authorize and approve the Merger Agreement and the merger.
The Special Committee negotiated the terms of the Merger Agreement
with the assistance of its financial and legal advisors.
The merger, which is currently expected to close during the
first half of 2017, is subject to customary closing conditions
including the approval of the Merger Agreement and the merger by
the affirmative vote of holders of Shares representing at least
two-thirds of the voting power of the Shares present and voting in
person or by proxy at a meeting of the Company’s shareholders
convened to consider the approval of the Merger Agreement and the
merger. The Rollover Shareholders have agreed to vote all of the
Shares and ADSs they beneficially own, which represent
approximately 94.3% of the voting power of the Shares outstanding
as of the date of the Merger Agreement, in favor of the
authorization and approval of the Merger Agreement and the merger.
If completed, the merger will result in the Company becoming a
privately-owned company and its ADSs will no longer be listed on
the NASDAQ Stock Market.
Duff & Phelps, LLC and Duff & Phelps
Securities, LLC are serving as financial advisors to the Special
Committee, and Kirkland & Ellis is serving as U.S. legal
counsel to the Special Committee.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as U.S.
legal counsel to Parent.
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking
statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor”
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by
terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,”
“intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and
similar statements. Qunar may make written or oral forward-looking
statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press
releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by
its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements
that are not historical facts, including statements about Qunar’s
beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement, including but not limited to the following: the
Company’s goals and strategies; its future business development,
financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth
of the online travel markets in China; the Company’s expectations
regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and
services; its expectations regarding relationships with users and
travel service providers; its plans to invest in the technology
platform; competition in the industry; fluctuations in general
economic and business conditions in China; and relevant government
policies and regulations relating to the industry. Further
information regarding these and other risks is included in the
documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
All information provided in this press release and in the
attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Qunar
undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required
under applicable law.
About Qunar
Qunar is China’s leading mobile and online
travel platform. With a commitment to building a travel ecosystem
serving the entire travel industry value chain, Qunar is evolving
the way people travel in a world increasingly enabled by
technology. Qunar addresses the needs of Chinese travelers and
travel service providers by efficiently matching industry supply
and demand through its proprietary technologies. By providing
technology infrastructure for travel service providers on mobile
and online platforms, Qunar integrates and offers the most
comprehensive selection of travel products and the most convenient
means to complete desired transactions for Chinese travelers.
Qunar means “where to go” in Mandarin
Chinese.
For more information, please visit
http://ir.qunar.com.
For investor inquiries, please contact:
Investor Relations
Qunar Cayman Islands Limited
Tel: +86-10-8967-6966
Email: ir@qunar.com
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