Finance
National Bank Deal at Huge Premium to Test Investor Patience
- Its $3.6 billion offer for CWB earns praise for strategy
- Timing of approvals ‘hard to gauge,’ Jefferies analyst says
National Bank of Canada is based in Montreal
Photographer: Nasuna Stuart-Ulin/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
National Bank of Canada’s deal to acquire a smaller rival in western Canada makes strategic sense, analysts said, but the transaction may take years to deliver on its promised benefits for shareholders.
Shares of the Montreal-based lender fell almost 6% on Wednesday in reaction to its surprise announcement that it agreed to pay C$5 billion ($3.6 billion) in stock to acquire smaller rival Canadian Western Bank. The transaction, in which National would exchange 0.45 of its shares for each share of CWB, represented a 110% premium over the target’s closing price on Tuesday.