KARACHI (The Thursday Times) — US ki masalon ki company McCormick & Company ne Pakistan Stock Exchange ko bataya hai ke woh Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited ke kam az kam 76.55% hisse khareedne ka irada rakhti hai, jo Pakistan mein Knorr aur Rafhan brands chalane wali company hai. Yeh Unilever ke dunya bhar ke food karobar ke zyada tar hisse ke takeover ka hissa hai.
Irade ka public elan, jo Budh ko Arif Habib Limited ke zariye, offer ke manager ke taur par, jama karaya gaya, 4,876,294 shares par mushtamil hai jo is waqt Conopco, Inc. ke paas hain, jo Unilever ki subsidiary hai aur Pakistani company ko control karti hai. McCormick yeh block seedha Conopco se khareedne ka irada rakhti hai, khud ya kisi affiliate ke zariye, aur phir takeover regulations ke teht baqi shareholders ko public offer degi.
44 arab 80 crore dollar ke deal ka hissa
Pakistani iqdam us merger agreement ke baad samne aaya hai jis par 31 March ko dastakhat hue, jis ke teht McCormick Unilever PLC ke food karobar ke taqreeban tamam hisse ka, tai shuda istisnaat ke saath, wahid control sambhal legi. Taqreeban 44 arab 80 crore dollar malyat ka yeh deal Knorr aur Hellmann's jaise brands ko McCormick ke masalon aur sauces ke saath jama karta hai. Is ka dhancha Reverse Morris Trust ki surat mein tarteeb diya gaya hai: Unilever aur us ke shareholders ke paas mushtarka company ka 65% hoga, aur McCormick Unilever ko 15 arab 70 crore dollar naqd ada karegi. India un markets mein shamil hai jinhein deal se bahar rakha gaya hai.
Mushtarka company McCormick ka naam aur Hunt Valley, Maryland mein apna headquarters barqarar rakhegi, McCormick ke chairman aur chief executive Brendan Foley ki qiyadat mein. 1889 mein qaim hone wali McCormick taqreeban 150 mulkon aur ilaqon mein herbs, spices, seasonings aur condiments farokht karti hai. Us ne kaha ke is waqt Unilever Pakistan Foods mein us ke paas koi shares ya voting rights nahin hain.
Unilever Pakistan Foods ne April mein sab se pehle exchange ko bataya tha ke aalami deal se Conopco ke hisse ki aakhri malkiyat aur control mein tabdili ki tawaqqo thi.
Aqliyati shareholders kya tawaqqo kar sakte hain
Filing mein qeemat nahin di gayi. Public offer ke zariye McCormick jitne shares hasil karna chahega, un ki tadad abhi tai honi hai, aur yeh offer Listed Companies (Substantial Acquisition of Voting Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2017 ke Regulation 14 ke teht kiya jayega. Us ne kaha ke Regulation 17 ke teht yeh offer competitive bid ban sakta hai.
Unilever Pakistan Foods ke shares Mangal ko Rs25,352 par band hue, jo elan se pehle aakhri trading din tha, jabke 23 September se 20 October ke darmiyan 28 din ka weighted average Rs25,308 tha. Is qeemat par company, jis ke 6,369,950 shares jari hain, ki maliyat taqreeban Rs161 arab hai, aur Conopco ke hisse ki maliyat taqreeban Rs124 arab.
Is khareedari ke liye tamam regulatory approvals darkar hain, jin mein Competition Commission of Pakistan ki manzoori bhi shamil hai. McCormick ne kaha ke woh kisi bhi wajah se apna elan wapas le sakta hai, jis mein in manzooriyon ka hasil na hona bhi shamil hai. Arif Habib ne kaha ke elan do working days ke andar akhbarat mein shaya kiya jayega.
Sales mein izafa, munafa mein kami
Filing ke mutabiq Unilever Pakistan Foods, jo Energile aur Glaxose-D ki bhi malik hai, ki net sales 2025 mein 20% barh kar Rs40.57 arab ho gayi, jabke tax ke baad munafa 15% kam ho kar Rs5.95 arab reh gaya. Earnings per share Rs933.50 thi, aur company ne dividends ki surat mein Rs1,651 fi share ada kiye, jo us ki kamai se zyada hain. 2026 ki pehli chhamahi mein company ne Rs25.26 arab ki sales par Rs4.34 arab ka munafa kamaya.
Company ki qiyadat chief executive Amir Paracha ke paas hai. Woh 2007 tak Rafhan Bestfoods ke naam se jani jati thi, jab Unilever ke Bestfoods ko khareedne ke baad us ne Unilever ka naam apna liya.
