ACCELERATING GROWTH AND DRIVING VALUE CREATION
The combination of ADTRAN and ADVA is expected to create significant value for the shareholders of both companies, with approximately $52 million in pre-tax annual cost synergies realized within two years post-closing, driven by identified supply chain efficiencies and operating model optimization.
Importantly, the combination will create opportunities to better serve customers. This will enable the combined company to accelerate its growth profile by utilizing a broader regional presence and the enhanced cross-selling opportunities facilitated by complementary product lines.
TRANSACTION DETAILS
ADTRAN and ADVA will combine under a new holding company (which will be renamed ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. following the closing) pursuant to an all-stock exchange offer for 100% of ADVA’s outstanding shares.
Under the terms of the offer, each ADVA share will be exchanged for 0.8244 shares of common stock in the new holding company. The offer is equivalent to €14.98 per ADVA share based on ADTRAN’s 3-month VWAP as of August 27, 2021, representing a premium of 22% to ADVA’s 3-month VWAP for the same time period, an equity value of €789 million, and an enterprise value of €759 million for an implied multiple of 1.3x LTM Revenue. ADTRAN shares will be exchanged for shares in the new holding company on a one-for-one basis. At the closing, ADTRAN shareholders will own approximately 54% of the equity of the combined company and ADVA shareholders will own approximately 46%, assuming a tender of 100% of ADVA shares.
The new holding company will commence the public takeover offer after approval of the offer document by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht / BaFin), which ADTRAN anticipates occurring in November 2021. The offer will be subject to certain closing conditions, including a minimum acceptance threshold of 70% of the outstanding shares in ADVA, majority approval by ADTRAN shareholders, regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.
The business combination agreement has been approved unanimously by the ADTRAN Board of Directors and the ADVA Management and Supervisory Boards. The transaction also has the strong support of ADVA’s largest shareholder, Egora, which has entered into an irrevocable commitment to tender into the offer shares representing 13.7% of ADVA’s outstanding shares.
The companies anticipate completing the transaction during the second or third quarter of 2022, subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals, as well as satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The new holding company, in coordination with the ADVA Management and Supervisory Boards, intends to pursue a delisting and squeeze-out of the ADVA shares, following settlement of the offer or at a later date, depending on the new holding company’s shareholding in ADVA, prevailing market conditions and other economic considerations.
THE COMBINED COMPANY
The combined company will be named ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.. Its global headquarters will be located in Huntsville, AL and its European headquarters will be in Munich, Germany.
The new management team and Board of Directors will have a balanced mix of executives from both companies. ADTRAN’s Chairman and CEO, Tom Stanton, will serve in the same capacity following the close of the transaction. ADVA’s CEO, Brian Protiva, will transition into the role of Executive Vice Chairman. ADTRAN’s CFO, Mike Foliano, will remain in his current role and ADVA’s CTO, Christoph Glingener, will serve in the same capacity for the combined entity.
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