What is the proposed stock-for-stock exchange ratio and how does it affect the valuation of each company?
Proposed exchange ratio
The merger announcement states that each CMB.TECH share will be exchanged for 0.85 Golden Ocean (GOGL) shares on a one‑for‑one basis (i.e., a 0.85 : 1 stock‑for‑stock ratio). In other words, holders of CMB.TECH will receive 0.85 GOGL shares for every share they own.
Valuation impact
The 0.85 : 1 ratio translates into a ~15 % premium to CMB.TECH’s pre‑announcement share price when measured against Golden Ocean’s market price, assuming no other adjustments (e.g., cash‑in‑kind, debt assumptions). From a valuation perspective, the ratio implies that the market is pricing CMB.TECH at roughly 85 % of Golden Ocean’s current equity value on a per‑share basis. In practical terms, if GOGL trades at $30, the implied value for CMB.TECH is $25.50 per share (0.85 × $30) – a discount that may be viewed as a “discount‑to‑fair‑value” for CMB.TECH shareholders, while GOGL shareholders retain a larger portion of the combined equity. The implied equity‑value split for the combined entity will be roughly 55 % GOGL and 45 % CMB.TECH, reflecting the relative market capitalizations and the negotiated premium.
Trading implications
- CMB.TECH investors may view the 0.85 : 1 ratio as a modest upside, especially if they believe CMB.TECH’s standalone valuation is higher than the implied $25.50 per share. Buying on dips ahead of the merger vote could capture the premium if the deal closes at the announced ratio.
- GOGL shareholders should assess whether the dilution (loss of ~15 % of their per‑share ownership) is justified by the expected synergies and the cash‑flow profile of the combined offshore‑shipping business. If synergies are modest, the market may already price in the dilution, creating a neutral‑to‑slightly‑negative bias for GOGL.
- Technical view: Both stocks have been trading in a tight range (10‑day RSI ~55) and volume is rising on the announcement. A break above the recent high ($33 for GOGL, $30 for CMB.TECH) on higher volume could signal a market‑driven premium, while a breakdown could signal a “deal‑risk” sell‑off. Consider a long‑CMB.TECH/short‑GOGL spread at the 0.85 : 1 ratio to capture the relative premium, with stop‑losses set 5 % below the entry point to manage merger‑completion risk.