Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Borders' shares down 40% to 68 cents - Management Not Going to Sell to Eager Buyers

It was not a good day for Borders Group Bookstores. After reported massive losses and dwindling sales the company learned they would be kicked out of the S&P MidCap 400. After all this, they announced they are not even contemplating a sale offer from Pershing Square Capital Management.

After the close of the market Borders announced a third quarter loss of $172.2 million, which equates to $2.85 a share. This time last year they were reporting a loss of $40 million, or 68 cents a share.

Standard & Poor's announced that since Borders' market capitalization had fallen to around a tenth of its requirement, the company will be replaced by precision instrument maker Mettler-Toledo International.

Borders' also announced that it has updated its "strategic alternatives process" which have included the sale of company and/or certain arms such as Paperchase Products. But according to Borders' the sale is now off the table. And this was Borders' decision not Pershings evidently.

The company said in a statement, "With respect to the sale of the company, management is no longer contemplating a transaction."

I guess this is why I am a blogger that has a following of 6 people and not the CEO of a major market Bookseller. But I would be at least entertaining the idea of selling my sinking ship to enthusiastic private equity bidders.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you a CEO of a public company, arranging sale of the company puts you out of work (most likely). You get nothing except a golden parachute since you typically own hardly any of the company.

Unknown said...

I think you made a mistake in the wording. The price dropped 40% to $1.00. It fell by 68 cents, not *to* 68 cents.