必和必拓(BHP)昨天对加拿大钾肥(PotashCorp)发起了新的攻击，声称“快钱”正涌进这家加拿大化肥生产商的股票，具有挑战性的竞购对手将挺身而出，与必和必拓390亿美元的恶意收购展开较量。
在全球最大的矿业公司必和必拓发起收购九天后，PotashCorp股价失去了一些上涨动力，从周二高点每股153美元跌至纽约市场昨日午盘的每股146美元。必和必拓的全现金报价定在每股130美元。
有猜测认为，中国可能牵头发起竞标。必和必拓首席执行官高瑞思(Marius Kloppers)对这种猜测不以为然。他补充说：“我只看到了一个报价，那就是我们给出的报价——已摆在桌面上的那个报价。”
稍后在CNBC上讲话时，高瑞思表示，在涉及收购的情况中，“快钱”往往是具有决定性的。他认为，PotashCorp股东名册中有“相当大一部分”（有40%之多）已在过去两周里换手。
但一位知情人士对高瑞思引用的数字提出质疑，认为40%反映的是总体成交量，而非所有权的实际改变。
这位人士表示，这么高的成交量主要是由股票在现有股东之间的频繁倒手所致。他还说，因套利而持有的PotashCorp股份目前占其总股份的5%左右。
必和必拓昨天公布的全年业绩突显出该公司的强大财力。这家英澳公司报告称，在截至6月30日的财年中，现金增加，净负债减少，营收和营利均告增长。
“考虑到这宗交易的规模和全现金性质，潜在的闯入者似乎不会太多，”高瑞思在伦敦表示。
高瑞思的话是在对PotashCorp首席执行官比尔•多伊尔(Bill Doyle)本周发表的言论表示异议。多伊尔本周曾表示，潜在竞购者“不计其数”。PotashCorp正与某些竞购者积极商谈如何与必和必拓展开竞标。
在发布年度业绩后，高瑞思表示，该公司将发起一次全球路演，“在未来数周里向必和必拓股东名册上的几乎每位股东展示公司”。
化肥行业愈发相信，必和必拓几乎不会遭遇局外者的对抗。“我不相信业内有其它企业能付得起400亿美元，”某对手化肥公司的负责人表示。
译者/李裕
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001034312
BHP launched a fresh assault on PotashCorp yesterday, claiming that “fast money” is piling into the Canadian fertiliser producer’s shares and challenging rivals to come forward and match BHP’s $39bn hostile takeover bid.
PotashCorp ’s share price lost some of its upward momentum nine days after the launch of the bid, falling from highs of $153 on Tuesday to $146 at midday yesterday in New York. BHP’s all-cash offer is pitched at $130 per share.
Marius Kloppers, chief executive of the world’s biggest miner, dismissed speculation about a possible Chinese-led counterbid, adding, “I’ve only seen one bid. It’s the bid we made. It’s the bid on the table.”
Speaking later on CNBC, Mr Kloppers said “fast money” often proves decisive in take-over situations, arguing that a “huge chunk” – as much as 40 per cent – of PotashCorp’s shareholder register had changed hands in the past two weeks.
But a person familiar with the situation disputed the figure cited by Mr Kloppers, arguing that 40 per cent reflected overall volumes rather than real changes of ownership.
He said the high turnover mostly involved churn of the stock between existing shareholders. Arbitrage ownership of PotashCorp is now in the mid single-digits, according to the same person.
BHP’s full-year results yesterday underlined the company’s firepower, with the Anglo-Australian miner reporting more cash, lower net debt, higher revenues and higher profits over its fiscal year ending June 30.
“Given the size of the deal, and the all-cash nature of it, it does not seem that there is an enormous universe here of potential interlopers,” Mr Kloppers said in London.
He was challenging remarks made this week by Bill Doyle, chief executive of PotashCorp. Mr Doyle said this week that there was “a large universe” of potential bidders, some of whom PotashCorp is actively talking to about counter manoeuvres.
Following the release of its annual results, Mr Kloppers said BHP would launch a global roadshow allowing the company to see “just about every shareholder on the (mining company’s) register over the next few weeks”.
The fertiliser industry is increasingly convinced that BHP will face little opposition from outsiders. “I am not convinced that any other player in the industry could pay $40bn,” the head of a rival fertiliser company said.
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