17/03/2020
NEWS STORY
Having originally bought a 16.7% stake in Aston Martin, Lawrence Stroll's consortium is increasing this to 25%.
In January, the Stroll-led consortium, which includes Andre Desmarais, Michael de Picciotti, Silas Chou, John Idol, Anthony Bamford and John McCaw, paid an estimated £182m for a 16.7% stake in the company at a price of around £4 a share.
In addition to Stroll's investment, existing shareholders were asked to inject a further £300m in new shares or risk their existing shares becoming diluted.
However, in the wake of the company's share price falling, Stroll has reworked the deal which will now see his consortium take a 25% stake at the revised price of £2.25 a share.
Stroll's investment fund, known as Yew Tree - a name which will be of far more significance to British F1 fans than others - is to increase its "short-term working capital support" to £75.5m in order that the company has the liquidity needed to meet the revised investment timetable.
"There has been a significant change in the global market environment in which Aston Martin Lagonda operates," said the Canadian. "What has not changed is our commitment to provide the company with the necessary funding it needs to manage through this period, to reset the business and to deliver on its long-term potential.
"Following recent moves in the share price and discussions with the board, I and my consortium of investors, have agreed that we will now acquire 25% of the company and take up our rights in full in return for a long-term capital Investment of £262 million.
"In addition, we have agreed to advance a further £20 million in short term funding to support the company, bringing this total amount to £75.5 million.
"Whilst the immediate outlook looks increasingly challenging, I remain fully committed to the future of Aston Martin Lagonda and look forward to implementing our plans once the fundraising is complete."
The annual general meeting scheduled for yesterday (16), was postponed due to the coronavirus.