Are Kemet Shareholders Getting Enough in the Buyout?

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By Chris Lange Updated Published
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Are Kemet Shareholders Getting Enough in the Buyout?

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Kemet Corp. (NYSE: KEM) shares shot up on Tuesday after the firm announced that it would be acquired by the Taiwanese firm Yageo. Although this offering values Kemet near multiyear highs, this still pales in comparison to what the stock was worth in the early 2000s.

Under the terms of the deal, Yageo will acquire all the outstanding shares of Kemet’s common stock for $27.20 per share in an all-cash transaction with a total value of $1.8 billion.

The purchase price represents a premium of 26% to Kemet’s volume-weighted average price for the last 30 trading days and 37% for the last 90 trading days.

It’s worth pointing out that this price values the transaction at roughly 7.6 times earnings, and this is very low for the diversified electronic industry. So while the price might look favorable on the surface, it values Kemet at near the bottom of its field.

Pierre Chen, board chair and chief executive of Yageo, commented:

Kemet has remarkable technology innovation capabilities and a proven track record of integrating cross-border acquisitions. We have been following their success with great admiration and look forward to creating a new legacy for the combined company. Kemet gives us the extraordinary opportunity to combine our strengths to achieve synergies in product and technology offerings as well as geographic coverage. The integration will enhance our ability to serve customers in consumer electronics as well as in the high-end automotive, industrial, aerospace, telecom and medical sectors. I look forward to partnering with Kemet’s employees to drive future growth and deliver enhanced value for our shareholders and customers.

[nativounit]

The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction.

Shares of Kemet traded up about 12% to $25.80 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $15.55 to $25.89. The consensus price target is $25.67.

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Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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