中粮拟全盘收购来宝农业 Noble in talks with China's Cofco over joint venture stake sale

Shares in Noble Group surged more than 10 per cent on Wednesday morning after the company said it is in advanced talks to sell its stake in its agricultural joint venture with Cofco to China’s state-backed grain trader, as it scrambles for cash following an accounting scandal

周三上午，来宝集团(Noble Group)股价飙升逾10%。此前该集团表示，正与中国国有粮食贸易商中粮集团(Cofco)就出售其在来宝农业(Noble Agri)中所持的股份展开深入谈判。来宝农业是来宝集团与中粮集团的农业合资企业，来宝集团打算把自己仍持有的那部分股份卖给中粮。由于发生会计丑闻，来宝集团正急于筹集现金。

Two people familiar with the deal said on Tuesday that Cofco was prepared to pay about $750m for the 49 per cent stake in Noble Agri, having bought the other 51 per cent of the business last year for $1.5bn.

两名知情人士在周二表示，中粮准备斥资约7.5亿美元收购来宝农业49%的股份。去年，中粮已斥资15亿美元收购了来宝农业51%的股份。

In a statement, Noble said it was in advanced discussions with “potential purchasers on both this sale and other strategic transactions.”

来宝集团在一份声明中称，正与“这笔交易以及其他战略交易的潜在收购方”展开深入谈判。

Noble, the Singapore-listed commodities trader, has seen its share price tumble 65 per cent this year amid a rout in commodity prices and questions over its accounting practices.

来宝集团是在新加坡上市的大宗商品贸易商，由于大宗商品价格暴跌，加上该集团的会计实务引发质疑，其股价在今年下跌了65%。

Noble Agri has been a drag on Noble Group’s earnings this year, which have fallen despite a strong performance in its North American oil business.

今年，来宝农业一直在拖累集团的盈利。虽然来宝集团在北美的石油业务表现强劲，但集团的盈利仍出现下降。

Rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s have both warned that Noble will be downgraded to junk if it does not raise at least $500m by the time of its results in February.

评级机构标准普尔(Standard & Poor's)和穆迪(Moody's)都警告称，如果来宝集团在明年2月发布财报前筹款额低于5亿美元，将把该集团的评级调降至垃圾级。

Trading houses such as Noble rely on cheap short-term credit to finance the millions of tonnes of oil and pallets of metal they ship around the world.

来宝集团这样的贸易商依赖廉价的短期信贷资金来购买大量石油和金属，然后发往世界各地。

Noble Agri employs about 12,000 people in 25 countries, and includes operations ranging from oilseed crushing plants in China to sugar mills in Brazil.

来宝农业的雇员在1.2万人左右，遍布25个国家，其业务范围广泛，包括中国的油籽压榨厂以及巴西的糖厂。

China’s state-backed food traders have moved to grow global operations as the country abandoned its long-held policy of food self-sufficiency as its economy has modernised.

随着经济现代化进程的推进，中国放弃了长期坚持的粮食自给自足政策，中国国有粮食贸易商纷纷开始发展国际业务。

Cofco has also bought a 51 per cent stake in Netherlands-based trader Nidera. Its stakes in Noble Agri and Nidera are held in an investment vehicle called Cofco International Holdings, in which China Investment Corp, the wealth fund, owns a 20 per cent stake.

中粮还收购了总部位于荷兰的贸易商Nidera 51%的股份。它在来宝农业和Nidera的持股是通过一个名为中粮国际控股公司(Cofco International Holding Company)的投资工具实现的。中国主权财富基金中国投资公司(CIC)拥有该投资工具20%的股份。