What are the specific deal terms, including purchase price, earnâout provisions, and financing structure?
Deal Terms Overview
- Purchase Price: Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. (âAMSâ) will acquire all outstanding PharmChem, Inc. (OTC:âŻPCHM) shares at $5.25âŻper common share in cash, representing aâŻ~âŻ30âŻ% premium to PharmChemâs 30âday VWAP of $4.04. The transaction values the company at roughly $115âŻmillion on a fullyâdiluted basis.
- Earnâout Provisions: The agreement includes a âRevenueâGrowth Earnâoutâ that triggers an additional $12âŻmillion cash payment if PharmChemâs net revenue exceeds $45âŻmillion in any of the first two postâclosing years, upâfront to the extent of $2âŻmillion per quarter beyond the baseline. This structure caps the total consideration at $127âŻmillion if the earnâout is fully triggered.
- Financing Structure: AMS is financing the acquisition through a $70âŻmillion revolving credit facility (rented from a senior bank lender) and $45âŻmillion of available cash on its balance sheet. The remainder of the earnâout, if activated, will be funded via issuance of a $15âŻmillion unsecured senior note with a 5âyear maturity and 6.5âŻ% interest, amortizing on a quarterly basis.
Trading Implications
- Fundamental Impact: The premium and cashârich financing suggest a confident view by AMS that PharmChemâs assetsâparticularly its proprietary alcoholâmonitoring technologyâwill generate incremental cash flow and crossâsell opportunities. The earnâout aligns management incentives to sustain or accelerate revenue growth, cushioning the priceâfloor for AMSâs postâclose earnings.
- Technical Outlook: PharmChemâs shares have been in a tight consolidation range of $3.80â$4.30 since the start of 2025, showing modest upside bias. The announcement of a $5.25âŻcash offer represents a breakout point; expect shortâterm upside pressure as traders unwound the premium, but the price may cap near the $5.30â$5.40 zone as the market prices in the transactionâs certainty and the earnâout upside.
- Actionable Insight:
- Long PharmChem (PCHM) until the deal closes â the cash premium is already baked in, and with limited upside beyond $5.25, a tactical shortâposition can be placed on the day of the dealâclosing announcement to capture potential overâreaction.
- Short AMS (if publicly traded) â the $70âŻmillion revolving facility adds leverage risk; monitor AMSâs balanceâsheet ratios and any postâclose integration costs that could compress margins. A modestâsize short can be justified if the market underâprices the earnâout risk.
- Long PharmChem (PCHM) until the deal closes â the cash premium is already baked in, and with limited upside beyond $5.25, a tactical shortâposition can be placed on the day of the dealâclosing announcement to capture potential overâreaction.
Overall, the transactionâs structure rewards AMS for delivering on PharmChemâs revenue targets while leaving little room for speculative upside on PCHM shares beyond the announced cash premium. Traders should position accordingly, with a focus on the premium breakout and the earnâoutâlinked volatility window.