Porsche Bidding Too Low for Volkswagen

From the time that Porsche has purchased additionalan ordinary share and 65.54 euros a preferred share.
stakes in Volkswagen, everybody has expected that itThe bid period is from April 30 to May 29, 2007. During
will soon be making a controlling bid for the takeoverthat period Porsche's stake would remained at 30.92
of Europe's largest automaker. And this is exactlypercent of the voting rights. The sports car automaker
what the German sports car maker has done, duringalso added that it is not seeking for a majority stake at
the first week of the month-long bidding process,this time.
Porsche AG has offered a bid for the takeover ofThe present bidding is quite important for Porsche
VW but it was the lowest allowable under thesince it will enable the sports car maker to make
German law and the investors didn't like it at all.minimum legal bid to all shareholders and would no
Porsche has acquired 188 common shares and 13longer be required by law to present further purchase
percent shares from Volkswagen shareholders as ofoffers to all investors. The present bid is also a
the end of last week, basing in a statement to thepreparation of the German sports car maker for the
Elektronischer Bundesanzeiger, which is theupcoming elimination of the 47-year-old German law
government's web site for financial filings.by EU's high court. It can be remembered that the
The German sports car automaker has offered 35.9controversial Volkswagen law prevents the takeover
billion euros or $48.9 billion for the Europe's largestof any shareholder regardless of whether they hold
automaker which is 16 percent less than Volkswagen'sthe majority stake in the company.
42.7 billion-euro market value as of March 23, 2007And last February 13 an advocate general at the EU's
which is a day before Porsche has announced its plan.highest court has recommended the scrapping of the
The offer made is not intended for full ownership butVolkswagen Law by saying that it restricts the free
more of a controlling stake, through such bid Porschemovement of capital. Porsche has also supported the
will be able to prevent any rival bid for Volkswagenabolishment of the law since it plans to purchase
especially now that the European court plans to canceladditional stake at Volkswagen to further protect its
the German law that prevents for a takeover.investment plus increase its control in the largest
Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech whose familyautomaker in Europe. It should be noted that
controls Porsche has been able to increase his powerVolkswagen is Porsche largest supplier of auto parts
ever since the sports car maker has bought a greatlike for example the VW PS pump which is used for
amount of stake in 2005.the production of sports cars. The two automakers
Volkswagen's shares decline by 1.19 euros or 1.1also engaged in joint ventures.
percent to 109.56 euros. The stock has gained 28Porsche has called for a shareholders meeting that will
percent this year considered to be the fifth biggestbeheld in June 26 to discuss its offer. It has also
gainer on Germany's benchmark DAX Index.obtained a 35 billion-euro line of credit to finance its
The Termspurchase of additional Volkswagen shares.
The German sports car maker has bid 100.92 euros