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Message: NI gets a mention

NI gets a mention

posted on Oct 17, 2009 09:52PM
Canadian Royalties accepts sweeter Jien Canada bid
16 Oct 2009 16:56 ET

* Offer C$0.80/shr for Canadian Royalties

* Jilin Jien adds to Canada resources holdings

* Canadian Royalties shares hit 52-week high

TORONTO, Oct 16 (Reuters) - China's Jilin Jien Nickel Industry <600432.SS> and Canada's Goldbrook Ventures raised their cash offer for Canadian Royalties on Friday by about 30 percent, winning approval from the company and boosting its shares to a year high.

Shares of nickel mine developer Canadian Royalties soared 34 percent to close 78 Canadian cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange, just shy of the offer price of 80 Canadian cents a share, or C$192 million ($185 million).

State-controlled Jilin Jien, China's No. 2 nickel miner, is one of several Chinese companies that have been actively buying up foreign resource assets to help slake the country's hunger for metals and fuel.

It already holds about 10 percent of Canadian Royalties, and also has stakes in Canadian-listed companies Victory Nickel and Liberty Mines .

Jien and Goldbrook will also buy all of Canadian Royalties' outstanding debentures. The two companies formed a 75-25 joint venture called Jien Canada earlier this year to pursue Canadian Royalties.

The takeover agreement, which follows an unsuccessful hostile bid launched in August, will give the companies control of the Nunavik nickel project in northern Quebec.

Nunavik was put on hold last year because of financing difficulties, but is expected to one day produce about 26 million pounds of nickel and 39 million pounds of copper.

"This announcement represents the best available alternative for shareholders and the Canadian Royalties board will be recommending that shareholders accept the share offer," Canadian Royalties said in a statement.

The sweetened offer is a steep improvement on the previous bid of 60 Canadian cents, and a 38 percent premium on Canadian Royalties' close of 58 Canadian cents on Thursday.

Canadian Royalties rejected the original bid, saying it did not recognize the strategic value of its Nunavik nickel project.

Canadian Royalties' stock has risen more than 60 percent since the initial bid in August, and touched a 52-week high of 79 Canadian cents on Friday.

Goldbrook's stock rose 5 Canadian cents, or 33 percent, to close at 20 Canadian cents.

($1=$1.04 Canadian)

(Reporting by Ashutosh Joshi in Bangalore and Cameron French in Toronto) ((cameron.french@thomsonreuters.com; 416-941-8199: Reuters Messaging: cameron.french.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: CANADIANROYALTIES/

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