SYDNEY--()--Since Thursday evening Sydney time, Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) has held an economic interest in 14.9 percent of GrainCorp Limited (ASX: GNC) shares. ADM previously held economic interest in 4.9 percent, and on Thursday evening ADM acquired an additional 10 percent economic interest at a price of A$11.75 per share.
ADM has approached GrainCorp with the aim of arriving at an agreement under which GrainCorp’s Board of Directors would recommend to its shareholders a cash acquisition by ADM. Any agreement would be subject to satisfactory due diligence, regulatory approvals and other conditions.
“Our investment in GrainCorp is part of our ongoing portfolio management and is consistent with our strategy of growing our Agricultural Services and Oilseeds businesses by investing in key supply regions outside the United States,” said ADM Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz.
“GrainCorp is a well-managed company, and together with ADM would be better positioned to connect Australia’s farmers with growing global demand for crops and food, particularly in Asia and the Middle East.”
“We anticipate that an ADM acquisition of GrainCorp would meet ADM’s key financial hurdles.”
Forward-Looking Information
This press release includes forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, with respect to any potential acquisition by ADM of all or any portion of GrainCorp. There can be no certainty that any discussions will result in a transaction or the entry into a definitive agreement. These risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Other risks are described in detail in the ADM Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to ADM and ADM assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
About ADM
For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 30,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. With more than 270 processing plants, 420 crop procurement facilities, and the world’s premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 160 countries. For more information about ADM and its products, visit www.adm.com.