必和必拓擬1450億美元收購力拓

必和必拓(BHP Billiton)已進行了最初的嘗試，就收購事宜接洽其勁敵力拓(Rio Tinto)，試圖創(chuàng)建一家自然資源巨頭，同時也將是全球最大的公司之一。

BHP Billiton has made the first move in a bid to create a natural resources giant and one of the world’s largest companies, with a takeover approach to its arch- rival Rio Tinto.

盡管必和必拓此次接洽（將收購力拓的價格定在688億英鎊(合1450億美元)，其中不包括債務）立即遭到了拒絕，但外界認為，必和必拓為一次長期的行動做好了準備，同時分析師預計，如果必要的話，該公司可能轉而進行敵意收購。 Although the approach – which valued Rio Tinto at ￡68.8bn ($145bn), excluding debt – was rejected out of hand, BHP is thought to be ready for a protracted campaign and analysts predicted it would go hostile if necessary.

如果這兩家公司合并，將締造全球最大的鐵礦石、銅、鋁生產商，并在煤炭、鋅、鉆石行業(yè)占據重要地位。合并后的公司將與鋼鐵行業(yè)的阿塞洛-米塔爾(Arcelor Mittal)一樣成為行業(yè)霸主，其規(guī)模將比緊隨其后的競爭對手高出數倍。

The combined entity would be the world’s biggest producer of iron ore, copper and aluminium, and a major player in coal, zinc and diamonds. It would have the same dominance in the mining industry as Arcelor Mittal does in the steel industry, and would be several times bigger than its nearest rival.

必和必拓昨日表示，已就可能的出價致信力拓，提出以3股必和必拓股票交換1股的力拓股票——力拓稱，這一出價較其周三收盤價43.50英鎊有21%的溢價。必和必拓拒絕就其下一步舉動發(fā)表置評。

BHP said yesterday it had written to Rio about a possible offer of three BHP shares for each Rio share – a 21 per cent premium to Wednesday’s closing price of ￡43.50, according to Rio. It refused to comment on its next move.

湯姆?艾爾巴尼斯(Tom Albanese)擔任首席執(zhí)行官的力拓回絕了上述接洽。該公司表示，經過“仔細考慮”，董事會的結論是：這一出價“大大低估了力拓的價值及其前景”。

Rio, led by chief executive Tom Albanese, rejected the approach. It said that after “careful consideration” the board had concluded the offer “significantly undervalues Rio Tinto and its prospects”.

熟悉力拓情況的人士昨日表示，上述出價“甚至都不接近”令該公司有興趣與必和必拓達成友好交易的水平。“他們必須重新回來，拿出完全不同的出價。”

People close to Rio said yesterday that the offer “isn’t even close” to a level that would tempt the company into a friendly deal with BHP. “They would have to come back with a completely different offer.”