Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNSL) and SureWest Communications (Nasdaq: SURW) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Consolidated will acquire all the outstanding shares of SureWest in a cash and stock transaction valued at $23.00 per share, or a total of approximately $340.9 million, exclusive of debt.
Under the terms of the agreement, SureWest's shareholders may elect to exchange each share of SureWest common stock for either $23.00 in cash or shares of Consolidated common stock having an equivalent value based on average trading prices for the 20-day period ending two days before the closing of the acquisition, subject to a collar. Overall elections are subject to proration such that 50 percent of the SureWest shares will be exchanged for cash and 50 percent for stock. The stock portion of the transaction will be received tax free. The transaction will be accretive to Consolidated's free cash flow per share in the first full year following closing, excluding integration costs, and the transaction is deleveraging to Consolidated. The consideration represents a 47% premium to SureWest's stock price as of the close on February 3, 2012.
On a pro forma basis, for the twelve months ending September 30, 2011, the combined company would have had revenues of approximately $620 million. SureWest currently serves 130,000 residential subscribers and 15,700 commercial businesses in the greater Kansas City and Sacramento regions, which contain over 321,700 residential marketable homes to SureWest. Consolidated is an established communications company providing a wide range of advanced services including voice, data and video services to residential and business customers in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The transaction is expected to generate annual operating synergies of approximately $25 million and annual capital expenditure synergies of $5 million to $10 million, which are expected to be fully realized by the end of the first full year after close on a run-rate basis. Consolidated expects to incur merger and integration costs, excluding closing costs, of approximately $20 million to $25 million over the first two years following closing. In addition, Consolidated will be in a position to benefit from SureWest's net operating losses of approximately $67 million, as of September 30, 2011. The merger is subject to standard closing conditions including federal and state regulatory approvals and the approval by both Consolidated and SureWest shareholders.
If you are a current shareholder and would like to discuss your options of exercising your rights as a shareholder, which include ensuring that the company is getting the highest possible price for the company, and that the board of directors will act in the best interest of the shareholders, please contact us.
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