BackICI India to revise upwards share buyback price
ICI India to revise upwards share buyback price
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By Reuters
Mumbai: The board of paints and chemicals maker ICI India Ltd. will meet on 26 May to consider a revised share buyback proposal, as the earlier plan did not attract any shareholder interest.
The company said its board will consider buyback of shares at up to Rs575 a share, compared to its ongoing buyback at up to Rs350 a share.
“The earlier price became defunct, as the share price moved much ahead of that level," Company secretary R. Guha said over the telephone on 17 May. “In practical terms, we are revising the (buyback) price for shareholders. We will also revise the total amount available to shareholders," he said.
According to the earlier proposal, approved in July 2006, ICI India planned to utilise Rs1.25 billion of its cash surplus for the buyback, and another Rs200 million for capacity augmentation, and to support sales growth.
Since then the company’s cash reserves have swelled through the sale of its advanced refinish business to Asian PPG Industries for Rs520 million, and that of its flavour and food ingredients business, Quest India, to the Givaudan group for nearly Rs3.9 billion.
“We have cash surplus of nearly Rs8 billion available at this point," Guha said. “We will not be utilising all of that. It is an exceptional profit, so we want to share it with shareholders." Parent Imperial Chemicals Industries PLC owns 50.83% in ICI India.
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