Centennial Coal seems to be amongst the first beneficiaries of the new revised mining tax of the Australian government. It is attributing the generous $2.5 billion takeover bid that it has received from Banpu as a direct result of the resolution of the mining tax issue.
Thailand based Banpu has offered Centennial Coal $6.20 a share for the business. This is a 40% premium to its pre-bid share price for the New South Wales coal producer. The market price for the company shares surged this morning as soon as the board announced that it supported the deal.
The offer was given by Banpu on Friday and negotiated after the federal government announced the lower tax rates over the weekend. JPMorgan is advising Banpu on the matter while Centennial Coal is being advised by UBS.
The Thai company Banpu already had a 19.9 per cent stake in Centennial. It has received approval from the foreign investment review board to gain a 20 per cent stake in Centennial Coal.