Nestlé S.A, Switzerland, the parent company of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, has increased its stake in the Nigerian subsidiary with the purchase of 229,697 additional units in the shares of the company.
This was seen in a notification sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange by the company.
The purchase according to the notification signed by the Company’s Secretary, Bode Ayeku, was made on the bourse in a single transaction on 11th, September.
This disclosure is a regulatory requirement that must be reported to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, especially when a major shareholder or director of a publicly quoted company purchases or sells shares in the company they own.
The breakdown of the transaction, shows that the purchase consideration for the 229,697 additional units of Nestlé Nigeria shares at an average price of N1,249.65 per unit is put at N287 million.
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This purchase and previous purchases strengthen Nestlé S. A’s status as the parent company of the subsidiary. So far, the company has accumulated a total of 977,744 additional shares worth N1.165 billion since 20th August.
As of June 30th, in line with the shareholding analysis of Nestlé Nigeria in its half-year financial results, the company had exactly 792,656,252 shares outstanding, with Nestlé S.A being the majority shareholder with 524,559,457 units, which amount to 66.18% of the total shares of the company outstanding.
Hence, with the purchase of 229,697 additional units, and previous purchases from 20th August till date, which amount to 977,744 units. Nestlé S. A’s ownership percentage of Nestlé Nigeria is now put at 66.30%.
What it means: Insider transactions, both sales and purchases, are often a sign of how shareholders perceive a company’s valuation. It could also mean a possible capital raise or that the major shareholders are strengthening their existing holdings.
The purchase of the shares of Nestlé Nigeria by Nestlé S.A has reduced the volatility of the company share price, with the parent company consistently mopping up stray volumes on the bourse.
Nestlé Nigeria PLC is one of the largest foods and beverage companies in Africa, and the largest consumer goods company by market capitalization. Nestlé Nigeria Plc engages in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of food products including purified water. It also exports some of its products to other countries within Africa.
Yetunde Adegoke
