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The deal was expected to fail after Origin's largest shareholder, A$300 billion ($198 billion) pension fund AustralianSuper, said it would reject the A$9.39 per share offer. AustralianSuper owns about 17% of Origin, which was enough to block the bid. Origin already has plans to develop 4 gigawatts by 2030, and Chairman Scott Perkins reaffirmed that strategy, adding that the company was open to working with other investors. "The way we've seen the energy transition is there's been plenty of scope for third party capital to invest alongside Origin," Perkins told reporters after the vote. In its statement, AustralianSuper said it would be a willing capital partner for Origin as it "prepares to transition over the coming decades".

Persons: Dado Ruvic, AustralianSuper, Brookfield, Scott Perkins, Perkins, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Alasdair Pal, Miral Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, Origin Energy, EIG Partners, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Australia's, Sydney

☆ Brookfield's $10.6 billion bid for Origin Energy expected to fail on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The outcome of a Brookfield consortium's $10.6 billion bid for Australia's Origin Energy (ORG.AX) will be officially known on Monday, with investors expected to vote down its year-long attempt to buy the country's largest power retailer. Origin’s largest shareholder, A$300 billion ($198.36 billion) pension fund AustralianSuper, has said it would reject the A$9.39 per share offer. "If the Brookfield consortium comes back with a hostile off-market offer, there could be upside to the share price." "We will do this work before considering whether to continue pursuing a proposal to acquire Origin Energy or the Origin Energy Markets business," he said. The company's board last week rejected a revised back-up bid from the Brookfield consortium that the energy firm said was too complex and highly conditional.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, AustralianSuper, Adrian Atkins, Luke Edwards, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Rights, Origin Energy, Origin Energy Markets, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Brookfield, Brookfield Australia

They would also investigate the company's affairs and could refer any suspected misconduct by directors to Hong Kong prosecutors. Evergrande could appeal a liquidation order, but the liquidation process would proceed pending appeal. China Oceanwide Holdings (0715.HK) suspended its shares in September after a Bermuda Court issued a liquidation order. So far over 53 billion yuan ($7.2 billion) of Evergrande's assets have been seized or frozen across China, local media have reported, citing court records. ($1 = 7.3170 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Clare Jim in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee, Lincoln Feast and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Kirton, EVERGRANDE, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Clare Jim, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: China Evergrande, REUTERS, HK, China Oceanwide Holdings, Bermuda Court, Evergrande, Services, New Energy Vehicle Group, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Sydney

The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. The defaulted company has until a Hong Kong court hearing on Monday to present a "concrete" revised debt restructuring proposal for offshore creditors, a judge said last month after its original plan had lapsed. Guangzhou-based Evergrande, which defaulted on its offshore debt in late 2021, did not respond to a request for comment. Chinese authorities have announced a string of measures to revive the sector destabilised by the debt woes of giants like Evergrande and Country Garden (2007.HK). Reporting by Clare Jim and Xie Yu in Hong Kong, Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Alvarez, Marsal, Clare Jim, Xie Yu, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, William Mallard Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Hong Kong, Court, Reuters, Hong, Evergrande, Services, New Energy Vehicle Group, Marsal, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China's, Guangzhou, Evergrande, Sydney

☆ China EV brand Zeekr puts US IPO on hold - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk past a booth of Zeekr, Chinese automaker Geely's premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, at a shopping mall in Beijing, China November 3, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG/SYDNEY Nov 30 (Reuters) - Zeekr, Chinese automaker Geely's premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, has put its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) on hold due to a mismatch in valuation expectations, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The sources could not be named because they were discussing confidential information. "The company has made a public filing to the SEC and is proceeding with the preparatory work," a Zeekr statement said. It declined to answer Reuters questions about the deal being put on hold due to the company's valuation target not being met and uncertain market conditions.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Julie Zhu, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, SEC, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG KONG, SYDNEY, Hong Kong, Sydney

Shein has not determined the size of its offering or the valuation at IPO, the sources said. Shein, Goldman and JPMorgan declined to comment, while Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most valuable China-founded enterprise to go public in the United States so far is ride-hailing giant Didi Global's (92Sy.MU) debut in 2021 at $68 billion valuation. In 2021, the comparable number was $300 billion when the IPO market was close to its peak. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes of Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Shein, Goldman, Didi Global's, Jason Benowitz, David, Dee, Delgado, CSRC, Simon Property, Sumeet Singh, It's, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Kane Wu, Anirban Sen, Rishabh, Scott Murdoch, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Amazon, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Arm Holdings, Roosevelt, REUTERS, China Securities Regulatory Commission, U.S, Reuters, Securities and Exchange Commission, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Aequitas Research, China's Shanghai Securities, Street, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, Singapore, New York City, Shein, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney

Under the new terms offered by Brookfield, the A$9.43 per share bid remains but some investors can stay invested in the energy markets business that would be owned by Brookfield. Brookfield's consortium partner EIG Partners would take on Origin's integrated gas business which includes the 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). If that bid fails to achieve 75% shareholder support, an alternative proposal has been lodged that would see Origin sell the energy markets business to Brookfield for A$12.3 billion. When asked during a press conference if he had reservations about the revised deal, Chairman Scott Perkins said: "absolutely". DONE TALKINGFollowing the announcement of the revised offer, EIG CEO Blair Thomas told Reuters that he was done talking to AustralianSuper.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Australia's, EIG, Scott Perkins, Blair Thomas, Allan Gray, Simon Mawhinney, Mawhinney, Chris Bowen, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Praveen Menon, Lincoln, Sonali Paul, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, Brookfield ., EIG Partners, Australia Pacific LNG, Reuters, Brookfield consortium's, Energy, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Sydney, Australia

☆ EIG CEO says consortium no longer willing to negotiate with Origin's top investor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Blair Thomas, CEO of EIG, poses in an undated handout photo obtained January 5, 2021. Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - EIG Partners CEO Blair Thomas said on Thursday the consortium behind the $10.6 billion bid for Origin Energy (ORG.AX) was "done" negotiating with top shareholder AustralianSuper in an attempt to gain its backing for the offer. Thomas said he believed AustralianSuper, which holds 16.5% of Origin, was acting against the best interests of the company's remaining shareholders. EIG is part of the consortium led by Canada's Brookfield. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Blair Thomas, Danthi, Thomas, Canada's, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed Organizations: Rights, EIG, Origin Energy, Thomson Locations: Canada's Brookfield, Sydney

Origin said based on the early votes received the original offer would not have won support. Under the new terms, the A$9.43 per share bid remains but some investors can stay invested in the energy markets business that would be owned by Brookfield. If that bid fails to achieve 75% shareholder support, an alternative proposal has been lodged that would see Origin sell the energy markets business to Brookfield for A$12.3 billion ($8 billion). Origin shareholders would receive a total of A$9.08 per share, with an additional A$0.22 if EIG got up to 90.1% control of Origin. Institutional investors who have already voted on the A$9.43 offer can choose to change or keep their vote, or opt to invest in the energy markets business.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, EIG, Chris Bowen, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Miral Fahmy, Lincoln, Sonali Paul Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Companies Brookfield, Origin Energy, Brookfield ., EIG Partners, Australia Pacific LNG, Brookfield consortium's, Energy, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, Brookfield, Sydney, Australian, Australia

Trading in Origin Energy shares was paused on Thursday. Brookfield Corp (BN.TO), which has teamed up with EIG Partner's MidOcean Energy, and Origin Energy did not respond to requests for comment. Origin shares closed on Wednesday at A$8.42, up 1.69%, but well below the offer price of A$9.43 per share. If everyone thought it was going ahead the share price would be higher," he told Reuters. Origin shares remain 2.1% lower than last week's close and have traded well below the offer price since the new bid.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, EIG, Jamie Hannah, I'm, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Rights, Origin Energy, Brookfield Corp, Energy, Investors, Newmont Corp, Newcrest Mining, VanEck, Reuters, Origin, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Lincoln

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A Brookfield-led consortium's A$16.3 billion ($10.61 billion) bid for Origin Energy (ORG.AX) is expected to fail after the largest shareholder in Australia's biggest energy retailer said it would vote against the offer at an investor meeting on Thursday. The energy company's shares closed on Wednesday at A$8.42, up 1.69%, but well below the offer price of A$9.43 per share. If everyone thought it was going ahead the share price would be higher," he told Reuters. Brookfield and Origin Energy declined to comment on Thursday's vote. Origin shares remain 2.1% lower than last week's close and have traded well below the offer price since the new bid arrived, suggesting investors were pessimistic of its success.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, EIG, Jamie Hannah, I'm, Macquarie, Ian Myles, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Miral Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Rights, Origin Energy, Newmont Corp, Newcrest Mining, Brookfield Corp, Energy, VanEck, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Sydney

The A$300 billion ($195.24 billion) pension fund was against the original offer, which it also said substantially undervalued the company's ability to profit from Australia's shift to renewable energy. Under the new terms offered by Brookfield, the A$9.43 per share bid remains but some investors can stay invested in the energy markets business that would be owned by Brookfield. Brookfield's consortium partner EIG Partners would take on Origin's integrated gas business which includes the 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). If that bid fails to achieve 75% shareholder support, an alternative proposal has been lodged that would see Origin sell the energy markets business to Brookfield for A$12.3 billion. DONE TALKINGFollowing the announcement of the revised offer, EIG CEO Blair Thomas told Reuters that he was done talking to AustralianSuper.

SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Australasian pharmaceutical distributor EBOS Group (EBO.NZ) has shelved a A$3.75 billion ($2.4 billion) deal to buy Australian vet chain Greencross, sending its shares down 7% during early trade on Wednesday. EBOS was due to pay A$3.75 billion to acquire Greencross, and was set to raise about A$2 billion as early as Wednesday, said one of the sources who could not be named discussing confidential information. The capital raising and associated buyout was put on hold because of weaker than expected demand from EBOS investors, the second source said. TPG and Greencross did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. private equity TPG bought Greencross in 2019 and delisted it from the ASX in a deal worth A$669 million.

Persons: EBOS, Greencross, Scott Murdoch, Marguerita Choy, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, EBOS, TPG Capital, TPG, Greencross, City Farmers, Liontown Resources, Thomson Locations: Australia, New Zealand, Albemarle, Sydney, Bengaluru

A pedestrian looks at his phone as he walks past a logo for Australia's Westpac Banking Corp located outside a branch in central Sydney, Australia, November 5, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), Australia's third largest bank by market capitalisation, said on Monday it would raise A$750 million ($488.1 million) in an Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital transaction. The AT1 bonds are used by banks to stabilise cashflow in periods of stress, according to APRA. Under that deal, holders of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds received nothing, while shareholders, who usually rank below bondholders in terms of who gets paid when a bank or company collapses, received $3.23 billion. ($1 = 1.5366 Australian dollars)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Stephen Jones, Scott Murdoch, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Westpac Banking Corp, Westpac, prudential, Credit Suisse, APRA, Credit Suisse AT1s, Commonwealth Bank, Credit, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

SYDNEY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Chinese self-driving firm iMotion Automotive Technology is aiming to raise $100 million in its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) due to launch in the last week of November, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. iMotion, which was established in 2016, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The Suzhou-based firm is planning to open the books for its IPO the week after next ahead of starting trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) in the first week of December, according to the sources. iMotion had planned to raise $300 million, Bloomberg News reported in March, but has cut the size of its new fund raising target. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Yantoultra Ngui in Singapore; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: iMotion, Hong Kong's, Scott Murdoch, Yantoultra, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, iMotion Automotive Technology, Reuters, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Bloomberg News, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, iMotion, Suzhou, China, Hong, Sydney, Singapore

The logo of Australian energy company Origin is pictured in Melbourne, Australia, July 3, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australian pension fund AustralianSuper said on Monday it had rejected an "eleventh hour" offer from a Brookfield-led consortium and its partner EIG to drop its opposition to their $10.5 billion bid for Origin Energy and join the takeover. AustralianSuper said it was Origin Energy's largest shareholder, but did not specify the size of its stake as it has done in previous releases. Brookfield argues its bid, which comes with the commitment of A$20 to A$30 billion worth of investment, will decarbonise Origin Energy faster than if the company remains in public hands. However, AustralianSuper said on Monday it was also open to stumping up cash to fund Origin's transition.

Persons: Jason Reed, AustralianSuper, EIG, Luke Edwards, Lewis Jackson, Alasdair Pal, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Origin Energy, Financial, Brookfield, Renewable, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Australia, Brookfield, Sydney

Livent CEO Paul Graves will take the top job at the newly minted Arcadium Lithium, if Allkem shareholders vote for the deal on Dec. 19. Merging the two companies would create the world's third-largest lithium producer by volume with assets spanning Australia, Canada and Argentina. Graves has said that one of his first priorities would be expanding Arcadium's footprint in Western Australia's world-class lithium districts. Under the deal, Allkem shareholders will get one share in the combined entity for each of their shares and the company will ultimately own 56% of the new firm. Livent shareholders will get 2.406 shares in the new firm, which will be called Arcadium Lithium, for each existing share.

Persons: Arcadium, Paul Graves, Kroll, Chile's, Graves, Albemarle, Livent Corp, Livent, Allkem, Scott Murdoch, Melanie Burton, Robert Birsel Organizations: JV, SYDNEY, Albemarle Corp, Liontown Resources, Hancock, Livent, FMC Corp, Galaxy Resources, Thomson Locations: Australia, U.S, Canada, Argentina, Western Australia, Sydney, Melbourne

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Proxy advisor CGI Glass Lewis on Thursday recommended Origin Energy (ORG.AX) shareholders vote in favour of a $10.5 billion bid from a consortium led by Canada's Brookfield (BN.TO), despite opposition from the target's largest shareholder. Brookfield and EIG Partners last week offered a "best and final" A$9.53 per share for Origin after raising a previous bid. Australia's largest pension fund AustralianSuper opposes the offer and intends to use its 15% stake to vote against the deal at a Nov. 23 shareholder meeting. Origin Energy shares traded 1.9% higher at A$8.905 at 2 p.m. AEDT (0300 GMT) and are up 5.1% since the close of trade on Nov. 2, when AustralianSuper rejected the improved offer. Reporting by Scott Murdoch and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Glass, Canada's Brookfield, AustralianSuper, Glass Lewis, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Leslie Adler, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Rights, Energy, EIG Partners, Services, Origin Energy, Australia Pacific LNG, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Australia

☆ Asian shares rise as S&P 500 records longest win streak in two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was flat, although up 4.6% so far this month. The dollar index , which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies of other major trading partners, was down slightly at 105.52. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 (.SPX) rose 0.10% and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 0.08%. The S&P 500 rose for the eighth consecutive day, extending its longest win streak in two years. In Asia on Thursday, U.S. crude and Brent crude both rose 0.8% following the weak performance in the U.S. session.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Ping, Brent, Gold, Scott Murdoch, Tom Hogue Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Rights, CPI, ANZ, Reuters, Ping An Insurance Group, Garden Holdings, HK, Ping An, U.S, U.S . Federal, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Pacific, U.S, U.S ., China

☆ Exclusive: Geely's Zeekr edges closer to US IPO, to make filing public this week - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The EV brand will publish its prospectus and its shares could start being traded on the bourse within weeks of the announcement, the sources said. Zeekr confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering last December, aiming to raise more than $1 billion, Reuters has reported. However, the company is likely to raise less than the targeted amount from the IPO, one of the sources said. It offers four EV models in China, with its 001 crossover priced from 269,000 yuan ($36,927.22) as its best-selling EV. ($1 = 7.2846 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai and Scott Murdoch in Sydney.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Zeekr, Zeekr confidentially, Didi, Amnon Shashua, Andy, Zhang Yan, Scott Murdoch, Kane Wu, Kim Coghill Organizations: bourse, underwriters, U.S, Reuters, Mobileye, Intel Corp, Tesla, Zhejiang Geely, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, New York, China, United States, Beijing, Zhejiang, Zeekr, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan, Shanghai, Sydney, Hong Kong

☆ Banking chiefs say market vulnerable to 'geopolitical escalation', regulatory push
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher looks on during the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, in Hong Kong, China November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Top global banking chiefs on Tuesday said they are concerned the financial sector's next crisis may come from rising geopolitical uncertainty which could test financial market resiliency, while the industry remains vulnerable to regulatory tightening. The trigger for the next global financial crisis is likely to come from the geopolitical or political space, said Morgan Stanley (MS.N) Chairman and CEO James Gorman. Gorman was among more than a dozen top executives of international firms speaking at the Global Financial Leaders Investment Summit hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. REGULATION "WAY TOO FAR"The global banking bosses also took the stage of the Asia summit to voice their concerns in an unusually aggressive joint effort to push back on a set of stricter banking rules.

Persons: Colm Kelleher, Tyrone Siu, Morgan Stanley, MS.N, James Gorman, Gorman, " Gorman, Christian, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, Solomon, Morgan Stanley's Gorman, Selena Li ， Kane Wu, Xie Yu, Scott Murdoch, Summer, Tom Hogue, Christopher Cushing, Lincoln Organizations: UBS, Global Financial, Investment, REUTERS, Tyrone, Investment Summit, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Deutsche Bank, Christian Sewing, UBS Group, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, Asia, U.S

☆ Proxy firm ISS recommends vote in favour of Brookfield-led consortium's Origin Energy bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended investors vote in favour of a Brookfield-led consortium's $10.5 billion bid for Australia's Origin Energy (ORG.AX). Brookfield and EIG Partners has offered A$9.53 per share for Origin Energy. AustralianSuper, which holds a 15.03% stake, has said it believes the consortium's bid substantially "undervalues" Origin and will vote against the offer. Brookfield will take ownership of Origin's energy markets business if the vote is in favour of the bid, while EIG's MidOcean Energy will gain a 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). In that scenario, EIG will own Origin and sell the energy markets business to Brookfield, meaning remaining shareholders, including AustralianSuper, will own only APLNG.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Scott Murdoch, Paul Simao Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Rights, Services, Origin Energy, EIG Partners, Shareholders, Energy, Australia Pacific LNG, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Australia, Sydney

Nov 6 (Reuters) - EIG Partners Chief Executive Blair Thomas said on Monday he is confident a Brookfield-EIG consortium can win support for its $10.5 billion bid for Origin Energy (ORG.AX) despite opposition from the Australian electricity and gas firm's top shareholder. Pension fund AustralianSuper said on Monday it had increased its stake in Origin to 15.03% from 13.67% and the A$9.53 per share bid remained "substantially" below its estimate of long-term value. Origin will hold a shareholder meeting on Nov. 23, where it will urge investors to vote in favour of the deal. If the deal is successful, Brookfield will take ownership of Origin's energy markets business, while EIG's MidOcean Energy will gain a 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). Thomas confirmed both Brookfield and EIG had discussed with AustralianSuper the possibility of it participating in the deal earlier this year.

Persons: Blair Thomas, AustralianSuper, Thomas, EIG, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Archishma Iyer, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: EIG Partners, EIG, Origin Energy, Brookfield, Energy, Australia Pacific LNG, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Australia, Bengaluru

The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. Evergrande was also banned from issuing new dollar bonds, a key part of its original restructuring plan, while its flagship mainland unit was being investigated by regulators. The biggest challenge ahead for Evergrande will be convincing its creditors and shareholders in the two Hong Kong-listed units that the new proposal is worthwhile, industry experts said. The ad hoc group of bondholders is unhappy about the revised terms offering equity in the Hong Kong-listed subsidiaries, according to sources. ($1 = 7.8239 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Xie Yu and Julie Zhu in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Scott Murdoch and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Evergrande, Hui Ka Yan, Xie Yu, Julie Zhu, Clare Jim, Scott Murdoch, Jamie Freed Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, HK, Evergrande Property Services, New Energy Vehicle Group, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Guangdong

"AustralianSuper believes Origin has a highly strategic portfolio of assets to participate in, and benefit from, the energy transition," a spokesperson said. Origin shares plunged as much as 5.6% to A$8.565 in high-volume trading following the news, as AustralianSuper's 13.68% holding could scupper a deal that requires approval from 75% of the register if not all investors vote. Should the deal fail at the shareholder vote scheduled for Nov. 23, a revised agreement allows the consortium to make a subsequent off-market bid if it buys 5% or more of Origin shares. "If it gets voted down, Brookfield aren't obligated to come back with an off-market takeover offer, but they may be inclined to," he said. Should the deal close, Brookfield and its partners GIC and Temasek will own Origin's Energy Markets business, which includes power generation and retailing.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, AustralianSuper, Canada's Brookfield, Brookfield, Jamie Hannah, Simon Mawhinney, Allan Gray, Stewart Upson, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Sameer Manekar, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, bourse, Brookfield Asia, Energy Markets, Saudi Arabia's Aramco, Australia Pacific LNG, Thomson Locations: VanEck, Brookfield, Temasek, Saudi, Australia, Sydney, Bengaluru

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