In measures aimed at enhancing “shareholder-friendly management”, Hankook Tire intends to buy back around KRW 50 billion (£34 million) of its shares over the coming six months and will also “sharply expand” the size of its dividends. In addition, the tyre maker will form a support group for external directors and implement an electronic voting system.
According to a statement filed with the Securities and Exchanges Commission in the USA, investment management firm BlackRock Inc. has increased its shareholding in Titan International from 12.94 per cent to 14.0 per cent. The Schedule 13G form states that BlackRock now owns 8,428,280 shares in Titan International, an increase of 8.16 per cent over the shareholding it previously reported.
On 23 January 2020, Pirelli & C. S.p.A. received a notification letter from its largest shareholder, China National Chemical Corporation Ltd. (ChemChina), informing the firm that it is undergoing “strategic restructuring”. The restructuring notice covered both ChemChina and Sinochem Group Co., Ltd.
Bridgestone reports that it yesterday completed the cancellation of Treasury Stock pursuant to Article 178 of the Companies Act, a measure decided upon at a meeting of its Board of Directors on 15 February 2019. A total of 47,838,200 common shares have been cancelled, 6.8 per cent of issued shares.
Market rumours that Pirelli is considering a €9 billion (£7.7 billion) merger with Finland’s Nokian Tyres have been quashed by company spokespeople. Reports that such a deal was on the horizon emerged in mid-January and were then fuelled by re-reporting in the British and Italian press. However, these stories are “without foundation”, according to two Milan-based Pirelli spokespeople that Tyres & Accessories interacted with. Nokian has yet to comment.
Directors of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.16 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable 2 March 2020 to shareholders of record on 3 February 2020. The payout represents an annual rate of 64 cents per share.
Bridgestone Corporation has significantly reduced its shareholding in Nokian Tyres. In a stock exchange release, the Finnish tyre maker reports that, as of 12 December 2019, Bridgestone’s shareholding has decreased from 9.96 per cent to 3.0 per cent. Bridgestone now holds 4,167,653 shares in Nokian Tyres.
Michelin – Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin, to use the company’s full name – has decided to cancel 1,345,821 treasury shares, representing 0.75 per cent of the total shares outstanding. As indicated in a Euronext notice last week, the effective date of the resulting capital reduction is 9 December 2019.
Pyrolyx AG shares gained 6 per cent in Australian trading after the company announced it has entered a rCB supply deal with Continental AG, according to Nasdaq.
Michelin intends to acquire all shares in Société Internationale de Plantations d’Hévéas (SIPH) not already owned by itself or Ivory Coast-based company SIFCA. It is launching a public buyout offer on 7 November, offering 85 euros per share. This buyout offer is being made exclusively in France and will be followed by a squeeze out.
Titan International, Inc. has reduced its shareholding in steel wheel manufacturer Wheels India Limited. It sold, via a wholly-owned subsidiary, a 10.4 per cent stake in Wheels India on 3 October, thereby dropping its share in the company from 34.2 to 23.8 per cent. Titan International intends to use the net proceeds of approximately US$19 million received from the transaction to pay down outstanding indebtedness.
Pirelli shareholder Camfin now has the right to buy up to 15 per cent of Pirelli shares. The news came when Camfin announced on 26 September that it had underwritten “an additional financial instrument, maturing in September 2022, denominated ‘Call Spread’ with 8.9 million Pirelli shares underlying”. Call Spread’s shareholding equates to 0.89% of Pirelli’s share capital.
Rubber industry news sources have confirmed earlier reports that Yokohama Rubber is in acquisition talks with Prometeon.