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October 14, 2009 at 08:00 PM
Conseco Inc. (NYSE:CNO) says it plans to raise $77.9 million by selling common stock and warrants to investment funds managed by Paulson & Company Inc., and to raise $293 million with a private offering of convertible senior debentures.
Conseco, Carmel, Ind., also wants to sell $200 million in stock to the public.
Combined, the transactions involve the issuance of securities and warrants that could increase the number of Conseco shares outstanding more than 20%.
Normally, the New York Stock Exchange would require shareholder approval of the transactions, but the shareholder approval policy “provides an exception in cases where the delay involved in securing stockholder approval for the issuance would seriously jeopardize the financial viability of the listed company,” Conseco says.
The Conseco board audit committee is permitting Conseco to use the NYSE shareholder approval exception, Conseco says.
The NYSE has approved Conseco’s use of the exception, and, “in accordance with such exception, Conseco will not consummate the transactions until at least 10 days after the mailing of a letter to stockholders describing the transactions,” the company says.
Paulson, New York, a hedge fund manager, has agreed to buy 16.4 million shares of stock from Conseco, along with warrants to buy 5 million in additional shares of stock, Conseco says. After combining the new Conseco stock with Conseco stock that Paulson and its funds already hold, Paulson would end up controlling about 9.9% of Conseco’s outstanding shares, Conseco says.
The warrants the Paulson funds are getting will have an exercise price of $6.50 per share, and, except in unusual circumstances, Paulson can convert the warrants into stock only after June 30, 2013, Conseco says. The warrants will expire Dec. 30, 2016. Shares of the stock were selling today for about $6 to $6.50 per share.
