Transat A.T. Inc. is warning shareholders against what it calls an “abusive” and “misleading” move by Montreal real estate developer Group Mach to block the tour operator’s sale to Air Canada.
Transat says it has filed a complaint with Quebec’s securities tribunal concerning Group Mach’s effort last week to scoop up 19.5 per cent of Transat’s shares at $14 per share in order to stop the pending acquisition.
Transat says its board rejects Group Mach’s bid as a “significant risk” to shareholders that disregards their interests and subverts financial market rules.
The offer from Group Mach chief executive Vincent Chiara represents an eight per cent premium over Air Canada’s $13 per share offer, which Transat’s board approved in June.
Group Mach hopes to secure “at least” 6.9 million Class B shareholders at a cost of about $97 million.
The CEO said last week he believes Air Canada under-values Transat, saying its sale process to the country’s largest airline was flawed and full of uncertainty for Transat employees and its Montreal head office.
The Canadian Press
