The couple&rsquo s stake in the trust stands at 35.5%, after returning the offer units

 

PROPERTY tycoon Gordon Tang and his wife Celine have failed to take over Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit), as their shareholding fell short of the 50 per cent threshold as at the offer closing date.

 

As at 5.30 pm on Friday (Feb 7), the total number of units owned, controlled, or agreed to be acquired by their investment holding company, Aelios, amounted to about 1.1 billion &ndash or 37.4 per cent of the total issued units.

 

All offer units tendered in acceptance of the offer will be returned to unitholders, said the offer&rsquo s joint financial advisers, UOB and DBS, in a bourse filing after the market closed on Friday.

 

Among the 1.1 billion final units owned by Aelios, about 57.4 million units &ndash or 2 per cent of the Reit&rsquo s total units &ndash were valid acceptances of the offer.

 

Aelios was formed by Tang and his wife as a vehicle for their mandatory conditional cash offer to acquire all of Suntec Reit&rsquo s units.

 

The offer was first made at S$1.16 apiece on Dec 5, 2024, and later raised to S$1.19 per unit. The offer closing date was postponed twice.

 

Prior to the offer, Aelios was deemed to have a 29.3 per cent stake in Suntec Reit. The offer was triggered after Aelios acquired 62.5 million units on Dec 5 by way of on-market transactions at S$1.16 apiece, bringing its shareholding to 31.5 per cent.

 

The investment holding company said that the offer was made solely to comply with Rule 14.1 of the Take-over Code, which stipulates that any entity controlling more than 30 per cent of a Reit must make a mandatory general offer to acquire its remaining units.

 

Tang and wife&rsquo s stake in Suntec Reit stands at 35.5 per cent, or about one billion units, after returning the offer securities to the unitholders who had accepted the offer.

They do not intend to increase the offer price, which was earlier raised to S$1.19 a unit, from S$1.16

 

THE closing date of the mandatory conditional cash offer made by property tycoon Gordon Tang and his wife Celine to acquire all units of Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust : T82U -0.84% (Reit) has been extended to 5.30 pm on Feb 7.

 

The offer had been slated to close on Monday (Feb 3), at 5.30 pm.

 

In a bourse filing, the joint financial advisers for the offer, UOB and DBS, said the offeror &ndash investment holding company Aelios &ndash does not intend to increase the offer price, which was earlier raised to S$1.19 a unit, from S$1.16.

 

After adjusting for the payment of Suntec Reit&rsquo s fourth quarter distribution to unitholders, the offeror intends to pay unitholders S$1.1743 for each unit, should the offer become unconditional in all respects in accordance with its terms.

 

The level of acceptances as at Monday will be announced by 8 am on the next market day, said the joint financial advisers.

 

Based on the latest dealings disclosure on Jan 31, Aelios and its concert parties owns or controls close to 992 million units or some 33.8 per cent of the total issued units of Suntec Reit.

 

The offer was initially triggered after Aelios&rsquo deemed interest in the trust reached 31.5 per cent, after acquiring 62.5 million units on Dec 5 by way of on-market transactions at S$1.16 apiece.

 

Aelios was previously deemed to have a 29.3 per cent stake in the Reit.

 

The investment holding company said that the offer was made solely to comply with Rule 14.1 of the Take-over Code, by which any entity controlling more than 30 per cent of a Reit must make a mandatory general offer to acquire its remaining units.

 

The company added that it intends to maintain the listing status of Suntec Reit on the Singapore Exchange, following completion of the offer.

 

The offer will turn unconditional once Aelios owns 50 per cent or more of the trust&rsquo s total units.