Brazilian conglomerate Andrade Gutierrez (AG) will extend the deadline for bids for its 14.9% stake in transportation infrastructure company CCR SA, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Banco BTG Pactual SA, which is advising AG, had set Thursday as the deadline, but decided to push it back in an effort to lure more bidders for the stake, worth 3.4 billion reais ($616 million) at current market prices, according to sources.
The new deadline is likely to be set for the second half of February, the sources said, requesting anonymity in order to discuss confidential plans.
CCR, AG and BTG Pactual declined to comment.
AG had agreed in May to sell its stake to private equity fund IG4 Capital for 4.6 billion reais, with a significant premium over market prices. Australia’s Macquarie Group was going to invest with IG4, but the deal fell through.
One person with knowledge of the matter said IG4 had demanded management rights in CCR, which was rejected by other controlling shareholders, the conglomerates Soares Penido and Mover, formerly known as Camargo Correa.
IG4 declined to comment. Mover said it would not comment on “market speculation” and Soares Penido did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Now bidders have been asked to simply take AG’s place within the current shareholders agreement.
AG aims to sell its shares at a premium, according to two sources.
Depending on the premium, it could be enough to pay off creditors of AG, which has bank debts and bondholders have the CCR stake as collateral. The value of those debts is currently greater than the market value of the stake. Andrade Gutierrez hired Moelis & Co last year to work on its debt restructuring.
Shares in CCR are down more than 10% since AG first engaged in talks with potential buyers of its stake in May. Shares were up 2.65% one hour after the open after the news of the deadline extension, topping a 0.9% rise in the benchmark Bovespa index.
The deadline extension was set because new investors expressed interest and asked for more time to analyse the asset, one the sources said, adding that both strategic industrial and financial investors have showed interest.
Potential bidders include Brazilian alternative asset manager Prisma Capital, which recently raised a $650 million fund in December, according to one source. Prisma declined to comment.
Votorantim SA, one of Brazil’s biggest diversified industrial conglomerates, is also interested in increasing its existing roughly 6% stake in CCR, another source said.
However, Votorantim is unlikely to deliver a bid in the current process, given the complex situation with creditors, that person said. Another potential bidder, holding company Itausa SA ITSA4.SA>, has not confirmed its participation, sources said.
Votorantim and Itausa declined to comment.
Canadian pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec which has been cited in recent media reports, is not expected to bid, one of the sources said. The fund declined to comment.
AG is also trying to attract interest from European transportation holding companies, sources said, but their role in the process is also uncertain.
