Napier Port priority share offer to close

Napier Port's priority share offer to Hawke's Bay Residents, Non-Resident Ratepayers, Eligible Port Employees and certain Iwi entities will close at 5pm Monday, August 5. Photo / File.

Napier Port's priority share offer to Hawke's Bay Residents, Non-Resident Ratepayers, Eligible Port Employees and certain Iwi entities will close at 5pm today (Monday).

The port is seeking to raise $204.3 million to $234.0 million with its initial public offering (IPO) of a 45 per cent stake in the company.

Under the terms of the IPO, Residents and Non-Resident Ratepayers, as well as Eligible Port Employees and certain iwi entities, have been given priority entitlements or preferential allocations to shares in the IPO.

Napier Port Chair Alasdair MacLeod says: "Napier Port is, so far, pleased with the response it has received from those with priority entitlements".

These entitlements were offered in line with the requirements of the Port's current owner, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC), that any sale of shares in the Port should be structured to enable strong local ownership.

"We also remind potential investors that pre-registration for the priority offer was not necessary for persons eligible to participate in the priority offer."

Hawke's Bay Residents and Non-Resident Ratepayers applying for shares in the IPO will be guaranteed a minimum allocation of $2000 of shares.

Eligible Port Employees, "in recognition of the contribution they have made to getting the Port to where it is today and the important role they play in its future success", have been guaranteed a minimum allocation of $5000 of shares.

They have also been granted rights to take up an interest-free, limited recourse loan from the Port that will allow them to buy shares using the loan at least up to the minimum allocation.

Iwi entities eligible to participate in the offer - Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, the four Taiwhenua of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated and each Tangata Whenua appointer as defined in the Hawke's Bay Regional Planning Committee Act 2015 – will also receive a preferential allocation, which will be determined once demand for the IPO is known.

After the priority offer closes, Napier Port will commence an Institutional Offer and Bookbuild and will then determine the Final Price at which all shares under the offer will be issued.

This Bookbuild is expected to take place between Tuesday, August 6 and Wednesday, August 7. Napier Port will make an announcement on the outcome of the Bookbuild and the Final Price when complete.

Napier Port is offering 90 million shares in the IPO. Of the capital raised, $110.2 million will be used to repay the Port's existing debt and provide capacity for the Port to fund a long-term investment programme, which includes the construction of a new multi-purpose wharf, 6 Wharf.

The remainder of the capital raised in the IPO will enable the Port's current owner, Hawke's Bay Regional Council, to realise a portion of its investment in the Port and will also provide funding for interest-free limited recourse loans to Eligible Employees to buy shares in the Port and meet the costs associated with the IPO.

The IPO is expected to complete with a listing on the NZX on August 20. As there is no public pool of shares available in the offer, members of the public that do not meet the priority criteria are encouraged to contact their broker.

Further details on the IPO, and copies of the Product Disclosure Statement and application forms for Hawke's Bay Residents and Non-Resident Ratepayers and Eligible Port Employees that wish to participate in the priority offer are available at www.napierportshareoffer.co.nz.