Not so fast, American Realty Capital, Cole REIT board says

Takeover target is considering offer despite claims to the contrary from ARCP chief Schorsch.
APR 14, 2013
The board of the Cole III REIT fired back today over the latest charges by American Realty Capital Properties Inc. that the REIT is ignoring its takeover offer. One day after being blasted by ARCP chief executive Nicholas Schorsch for being unresponsive to his latest overtures, the Cole Credit Property Trust III board said it planned to consider the second revised proposal, and that Mr. Schorsch didn't have his facts straight. The Cole board members said a representative had held “a lengthy conference call” with ARCP on March 29, with Cole advisers following up March 31 and again April 1. On Tuesday, ARCP management blasted the Cole III board for not responding to its unsolicited takeover offer. In a letter to the REIT's board, Mr. Schorsch claimed Cole had been unresponsive to his company's overtures. “We worked all through the weekend to deliver more information,” Mr. Schorsch told InvestmentNews. “It seems to us, from the behavior we're seeing, that the board is really focused on completing [an internal] Cole merger … without a shareholder vote.” Last month, Cole III proposed a merger with its management company, Cole Holdings Corp., an event that triggered the series of revised offers from ARCP. In their statement Wednesday, Cole board members said the REIT remains committed to its plan to acquire Cole Holdings Corp. ARCP on Tuesday also said it would consider sweetening its latest bid for the property trust giant. The improved offer would increase the cash portion of its bid for the nontraded REIT and its management company to 60%, from 20%. “By giving a bigger pool of cash, it gives the board of the company knowledge that more cash is available for the investor,” Mr. Schorsch said. “It makes it more reliable” as a takeover offer. Last week, ARCP raised its initial bid for the Cole III REIT shares, upping the ante to no less than $13.59 a share in stock or $12.50 a share in cash. ARC's opening offer — $12 in cash and stock — was rejected by the REIT's board last month.

Latest News

Most investors are still positioned for the old environment
Most investors are still positioned for the old environment

Matthew Klein on Rethinking Portfolios in a New Era.

Financial dependence on parents persists as retirement concerns grow, Northwestern Mutual finds
Financial dependence on parents persists as retirement concerns grow, Northwestern Mutual finds

As retirement costs climb, millions of millennials and Generation X adults continue relying on parental support, highlighting obstacles to retirement readiness. 

Former Detroit Tigers prospect moves from Edward Jones to LPL
Former Detroit Tigers prospect moves from Edward Jones to LPL

Les Smith, who once played alongside future MLB stars Eugenio Suárez and Nick Castellanos, says lessons from professional baseball helped fuel his transition to independent wealth management after 11 years at Edward Jones.

Mariner discloses cloud breach impacting nearly 9,000 individuals
Mariner discloses cloud breach impacting nearly 9,000 individuals

A November hacking incident involving cloud apps used by three employee exposed names, Social Security numbers, and other account data, the mega-RIA said.

Merrill broker, whose name was in the Epstein files, has left the firm: Reports
Merrill broker, whose name was in the Epstein files, has left the firm: Reports

Paul V. Morris worked at multiple firms across Wall Street and most recently in Manhattan for Merrill Lynch.

SPONSORED Estate planning isn't a service add-on. It's your retention strategy.

As $84 trillion prepares to change hands, advisors who treat estate planning as peripheral are quietly building a sieve, not a book.

SPONSORED Why strategy matters more than performance

In volatile markets, the advisors who win aren't the ones with the best calls - they're the ones whose clients stay the course.