The Swiss group SIX already controls over 95% of Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME) after its takeover bid. In a statement to the CNMV, SIX said it has now exceeded the threshold required to exercise the right of a forced sale, which will mean the exclusion of BME shares from the Spanish stock market.
The combination of BME and SIX, both leaders in their respective national financial markets, will create a diversified group with a strong presence throughout Europe. It will become the third largest infrastructure group in the European financial market and the tenth largest in the world by revenues. SIX believes this transaction will strengthen the Spanish and Swiss ecosystems by creating centres of excellence and providing new capabilities for BME and SIX participants.
Spanish watchdog CNMV considers that the terms of SIX’s takeover bid for BME have been adapted to current standards, while the contents of the prospectus submitted, after the latest amendments on 25 March 2020, are sufficient. SIX is offering €33.4 per share. The acceptance period is 43 calendar days from the business day following the publication of the takeover announcement. One of the major new features of the transaction is SIX’s commitment to maintaining BME’s activities and locations in Spain for 10 years, as opposed to the initial four years.
The aim of the move would be to obtain government approval for the operation, a necessary condition for it to be successful. SIX’s purchase proposal includes the commitment to maintaining BME’s current brands, headquarters, business lines and offices. It also upholds the company’s strategy in Spain for four years, which could now be extended.
The operation needs 50% support from BME’s capital. However, it also depends on the relevant authorizations. The purchase depends, in addition to the green light of the Spanish Competition Authorities, the approval of the Spanish market regulator CNMV.