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Finaccess Restauració has cleared the 90% shareholding hurdle in its bid to take over Restaurant Brands. In September, the Mexican company offered to acquire the 25% of the fast food company it didn't already own for $5.05 per share. Although the price was below the $5.24 to $6.20 per share valuation range issued by independent adviser Calibre Partners, Restaurant Brands’ independent directors recommended shareholders accept the offer, saying the risks to shareholders “outweighed” the offer price. Today, Finaccess reported that it had reached the 90% threshold, giving it the right to compulsorily acquire the remaining shares from minority shareholders. It has indicated it intends to do so.
Shareholders of Allied Farmers have approved the $7.5 million sale of its livestock trading business to Christchurch-based Rural Livestock. A resolution on the transaction at Allied’s annual meeting on Thursday was passed by 96.4% of votes, with 3.6% against. Chair Shelley Ruha said the sale would allow the company to “redeploy the sale proceeds into investment opportunities that offer a stronger and more sustainable earnings profile”. In other resolutions, Ruha was re-elected to the board with a 99.9% vote, while the re-election of Phil Luscombe was passed by 88.6%, with 11.4% voting against.
Microsoft has apologised to subscribers of its 'personal' and 'family' 365 software package for not adequately informing them of alternative options when AI-related upgrades were made to the product in October last year. The global tech giant said it introduced AI capabilities into the Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions last October but that "in hindsight" it could have been clearer about the availability of a non-AI-enabled plan. "In our email to subscribers, we expressed our regret for not being clearer about our subscription options, shared details about lower-priced alternatives that come without AI and offered a refund to eligible subscribers who wish to switch." The apology follows consumer complaints to market regulators on both sides of the Tasman, including a pending court case by Australia's regulator, the ACCC.
The Commerce Commission has authorised an agreement among four electricity generator retailers – Genesis, Contact, Meridian and Mercury – delivering access to reserve capacity at Huntly Power Station.
The deal, known as a Strategic Energy Reserve Huntly Firming Option, involves Contact, Meridian and Mercury paying annual fees to Genesis for 10 years in exchange for the ability to tap generation from Huntly’s coal and gas-fired Rankine Unit 2.
Commission chair John Small said the public benefits of the arrangement probably outweighed the potential anti-competitive effects.
“The Commission is aware of the difficulties currently facing the electricity sector and, after thoroughly testing the impacts of this authorisation, believes there is significant public benefit in ensuring security of supply for New Zealanders during dry years,” he said.
The Commission said Genesis was working on ways to offer further reserve capacity to other customers and its progress would be monitored.