One takeover set, another brewing

Article Excerpt

USG CORP. $43 (New York symbol USG; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares o/s: 139.7 million; Market cap: $6.0 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Highest; www.usg.com) makes gypsum wallboard (drywall), wallboard finishing materials, tile backers and underlayment, and ceiling tiles. Germany’s Knauf Group holds a 10.5% stake in USG and is its second-largest shareholder. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. holds 31% of outstanding shares. USG announced June 11, 2018, that it has accepted a $7 billion takeover offer from Knauf Group. The move follows several months of talks during which Buffett said he would vote against USG’s four director nominees at the next annual meeting. He opposed the company’s decision to turn down Knauf’s initial bid of $42.00 a share in late March without sitting down to discuss a possible second offer. The takeover price of $44.00 represents a 31% premium over USG’s stock price before Knauf made its first offer in March 2018. Shareholders will get $43.50 in cash, plus a $0.50-a-share special…