Wesfarmers Opposed to Woolworths' Rival Approach for API -- Update
Wesfarmers Opposed to Woolworths' Rival Approach for API -- Update
By Stuart Condie
斯圖爾特·康迪(Stuart Condie)著
SYDNEY--Wesfarmers Ltd. opposes retail rival Woolworths Group Ltd.'s 872 million Australian dollar (US$621.8 million) approach for Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and said it believes its proposal to acquire the pharmaceutical distributor is in shareholders' best interests.
悉尼--西部農場主有限公司(Wesfarmers Ltd.)反對零售競爭對手Woolworths Group Ltd.以8.72億澳元(合6.218億美元)收購澳大利亞製藥工業有限公司(Australian Pharmtics Industries Ltd.)的提議，並表示相信收購這家醫藥分銷商的提議符合股東的最佳利益。
Wesfarmers on Wednesday said it holds a 19.3% stake in API and would not vote in favor of any scheme that would give Woolworths control. It won't accept any takeover offer by the supermarket chain operator.
Wesfarmers週三表示，它持有API 19.3%的股份，不會投票支持任何讓Woolworths獲得控制權的計劃。它不會接受這家連鎖超市運營商的任何收購要約。
Woolworths this month made an all-cash proposal worth A$1.75 per API share, surpassing Wesfarmers' A$1.55 per share proposal previously recommended by the API board. Both retailers are seeking to bolster their presence in the burgeoning health and wellbeing market.
Woolworths本月提出的全現金報價為每股1.75澳元，超過了Wesfarmers之前由API董事會建議的每股1.55澳元的報價。這兩家零售商都在尋求加強自己在蓬勃發展的健康和福祉市場的影響力。
Wesfarmers has the right to match any proposal that API, which also operates the Priceline pharmacy chain, deemed superior.
西部農場主有權匹配API認為優越的任何提議。API還運營着Priceline藥房連鎖店。
"We're committed to supporting pharmacist owners, many of whom operate small businesses, to grow their pharmacies over time. This includes growth in prescription medicines, along with growth in services and broader non-prescription health, personal care and beauty products," Wesfarmers Managing Director Rob Scott said.
Wesfarmers董事總經理羅布·斯科特(Rob Scott)表示：“我們致力於支持藥劑師所有者，他們中的許多人經營着小企業，隨着時間的推移，他們將發展自己的藥店。這包括處方藥的增長，以及服務和更廣泛的非處方藥健康、個人護理和美容產品的增長。”
Wesfarmers, which owns assets including discount department store Kmart and 4.9% of Coles Ltd., said it would keep Priceline customer data separate from its existing loyalty program. It said this was a response to pharmacist and franchisee concern over significant product overlap between outlets.
擁有折扣百貨商店凱馬特(Kmart)和Coles Ltd.4.9%股份等資產的西部農場主表示，將把Priceline客户數據與現有的忠誠度計劃分開。該公司表示，這是對藥劑師和加盟商對門店之間產品嚴重重疊的擔憂的迴應。
"This assurance provides API and its community pharmacists, including current and future Priceline franchisees, with comfort that their customer data will be protected from supermarket competitors," Wesfarmers said.
Wesfarmers説：“這一保證為API及其社區藥劑師，包括目前和未來的Priceline特許經營商提供了安慰，他們的客户數據將受到保護，不受超市競爭對手的影響。”
Shares in API last traded at A$1.71.
API的股票最新交易價格為1.71澳元。
Write to Stuart Condie at stuart.condie@wsj.com
寫信給斯圖爾特·康迪(Stuart.Condie@wsj.com)
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。