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Hedge funds make competing takeover quote for energy company Martin Midstream, letter says

Hedge funds Nut Tree Capital Management and Caspian Capital are making an offer for Martin Midstream Partners, a letter seen revealed, aiming to ambuscade a quote from the fuels storage and transporter's. largest investor to purchase it out.

The rival offer would give unitholders of Martin Midstream. $ 4 per unit in cash, valuing the Kilgore, Texas-based business's. publicly-traded units at $156 million. The price is a 21%. premium to the system's $3.30 closing price on Wednesday.

The bid tops the $3.05 per system money deal which Martin. Resource Management Corporation (MRMC) said on May 24 it had. made to acquire all typical units it did not currently own. MRMC is. headed by Ruben S. Martin III, whose dad in 1951 set up the. business to which MRMC and Martin Midstream trace their roots.

In the letter to the board committee set up to assess. MRMC's deal, the hedge funds stated their efforts to engage on. their quote had up until now been rebuffed, despite it being more. financially appealing. It said that MRMC faced disputes of. interest and was attempting to acquire Martin Midstream at below. market value.

We believe the committee's insistence on the basic. partner's support to take part in conversations relating to a premium. acquisition offer is unsuitable and brings into question the. committee's own independence, the letter said.

Martin Midstream and MRMC did not instantly react to. ask for comment.

Martin Midstream is structured as a tax-efficient master. limited partnership (MLP), suggesting ownership is divided into. publicly-traded typical units, but also basic partner (GP). units which have outsized influence since the owner of these. controls the governance of the MLP.

The GP stake is controlled by MRMC, which likewise owns 15.7% of. the common systems.

In a filing detailing its offer, MRMC said it just had. interest in purchasing out the business, and would not entertain. offering it to another party.

Martin Midstream uses storage and transport services. for fuels and petrochemicals. It also makes fertilizers. and lubes, with its operations focused along the U.S. Gulf coast.

Both Nut Tree Capital and Caspian Capital are Brand-new York-based. funds which concentrate on distressed middle-market business.

(source: Reuters)