Coty Agrees to Sell $150M of Its Retained Wella Stake
July 18 2023 - 12:00AM
Business Wire
- Coty Expects to Sell 3.6% Stake in Wella to IGF Wealth
Management,
- Cash Proceeds of Proposed Transaction will be used to Pay Down
Debt
- Coty Remains on Track to Drive Leverage Towards 3x Exiting
CY23
- Coty Committed to Divest Remaining 22.3% Stake by CY25
Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY) (“Coty” or “the Company”), one of the
world’s largest beauty companies with a portfolio of iconic brands
across fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and body care, today
announced that it has entered into a binding letter of intent to
sell a portion of its Wella stake to investment firm, IGF Wealth
Management.
Coty will sell a 3.6% stake in Wella for $150 million, subject
to the completion of due diligence, reflecting a 4% premium to the
book value of Wella as of March 31, 2023. Following this
transaction, which is expected to close in the next two months
subject to certain closing conditions (including the approval of
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (“KKR”)), Coty will retain a
22.3% stake in Wella with an implied valuation of approximately
$900 million. The announced transaction advances the Company’s
objectives to actively deleverage, including reaching its target of
driving leverage towards 3x exiting CY23.
Laurent Mercier, Chief Financial Officer of Coty, said: "Today’s
announcement is a milestone for Coty, as the partial monetization
of our Wella stake reinforces the strength of our balance sheet,
with no debt maturities in the next 2 years and our remaining Wella
stake carrying an implied valuation of approximately $900 million.
The expected transaction is a concrete step in our commitment to
both fully divest our retained Wella stake and reach leverage of
approximately 2x by end of CY25. Coupling this deleveraging with a
best-in-class medium term growth algorithm, an active capital
return program, including $400 million in targeted future share
buybacks, and the continued momentum in our business, it is clear
that we are reinforcing Coty’s position as a beauty
powerhouse.”
About Coty Inc.
Founded in Paris in 1904, Coty is one of the world’s largest
beauty companies with a portfolio of iconic brands across
fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and body care. Coty serves
consumers around the world, selling prestige and mass market
products in more than 130 countries and territories. Coty and our
brands empower people to express themselves freely, creating their
own visions of beauty; and we are committed to protecting the
planet. Learn more at coty.com or on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements
The statements contained in this press release include certain
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities
laws. These forward-looking statements reflect Coty’s current views
with respect to, among other things, its outlook, expected
guidance, trends and strategic information. These forward-looking
statements are generally identified by words or phrases, such as
“anticipate,” “are going to,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,”
“expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “foresee,” “forecast,” “will,”
“may,” “should,” “outlook,” “continue,” “target,” “aim,”
“potential” and similar words or phrases. These statements are
based on certain assumptions and estimates that Coty considers
reasonable and are not guarantees of Coty’s future performance, but
are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which
are beyond Coty’s control, which could cause actual events or
results to differ materially from such statements, including the
factors identified in “Risk Factors” included in Coty’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 and its
subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking
statements made in this press release are qualified by these
cautionary statements. These forward-looking statements are made
only as of the date of this press release, and Coty does not
undertake any obligation, other than as may be required by law, to
update or revise any forward-looking or cautionary statements to
reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of events,
unanticipated or otherwise, or changes in future operating results
over time or otherwise.
Coty provides guidance only on a non-GAAP basis and does not
provide reconciliations of such forward-looking non-GAAP measures
to GAAP due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and
quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such
reconciliation, including adjustments that could be made for
restructuring, integration and acquisition-related expenses,
amortization expenses, adjustments to inventory, and other charges
reflected in our reconciliation of historic numbers, the amount of
which, based on historical experience, could be significant.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230717648040/en/
Investor Relations Olga Levinzon +1 212 389-7733
olga_levinzon@cotyinc.com
Media Antonia Werther +31 621 394495
antonia_werther@cotyinc.com
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