Akij Resources to acquire Dominage Steel at Tk 13 a share

The securities regulator has given its permission to Dominage Steel Building Systems to transfer 30.78 million ordinary shares to Akij Resources and two individuals, resulting in a significant reshuffling of the company’s ownership.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) gave its approval on August 27, paving the way for the proposed transfer, according to a regulatory filing on Sunday.

As per a negotiated deal, the shares will be transferred at a price of Tk 13 each, said BSEC spokesperson Md. Abul Kalam.

So, Akij Resources and two individuals will have to pay more than Tk 400 million to receive the shares of Dominage Steel.

The individuals who purchased the shares are Sheikh Jasim Uddin and Faria Hossain.

The company said the transfer would be executed outside the regular trading system as a matched transaction. A matched transaction is generally used for a predetermined block of shares between identified parties, rather than through buying and selling orders on the stock exchange.

Dominage Steel said it would inform the market once the share transfer is completed.

Earlier in April this year, Dominage Steel’s board decided to sell ownership stakes at a negotiated price through an off-market transaction.

Upon completion of the regulatory process, a new board of directors will take over the management and operations of the company.

No company of the Akij Group has yet been listed on the stock exchanges. So, it will enter the secondary market through the acquisition of Dominage Steel.

Akij Resources holds a significant presence in the steel and construction sectors through its subsidiaries. Officially established in April 2020, it builds on the heritage of the Akij Group, one of Bangladesh’s largest conglomerates.

Meanwhile, the stock of the listed steel manufacturer has climbed remarkably over the last year. It surged 401 per cent to Tk 86.2 between September 1 last year and July 28 this year. Later, the stock declined and closed at 63.60 on Monday, gaining 0.32 per cent over the previous day.

The market price of the shares to be transferred stands at Tk 1.95 billion.

As per the securities rules, the sponsor-directors of a listed company are required to jointly hold at least 30 per cent of shares. Hence, the shares will remain locked as sponsor holding.

Source: The Business Standard