Another important milestone has been reached on Bell’s journey toward privatization.
According to a press release, Bell has now filed all the required documentation with the CRTC to confirm the new ownership structure will comply with the provisions for board composition.
A number of risk factors are still potential deal breakers, any one of which could have a material impact on Bell’s share price (which climbed yesterday to break through $38 for the first time in a little while):
- satisfaction of the conditions to the approvals of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and the Minister of Industry,
- resolution of the appeals filed by the debenture holders with regard to the plan of arrangement, and any related stay or injunction that would prevent closing pending resolution of such appeals, and
- certain termination rights available to the parties under the definitive agreement dated June 29, 2007, as amended, governing the terms of the transaction. The conditions to these approvals may not be satisfied, the other conditions to the transaction may not be satisfied in accordance with their terms, and/or the parties to the definitive agreement may exercise their termination rights, in which case the proposed privatization transaction could be modified, restructured or terminated, as applicable.
Will the CRTC and Industry Canada confirm that Bell’s documentation is completely in order in order to remove the first of these risk factors?