Summary
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) announced a significant corporate action on June 12, 2012, involving a substantial share repurchase program and progress on its acquisition of Synthes, Inc. The company, through its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceutical, entered into accelerated share repurchase (ASR) agreements with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to buy back approximately 203.7 million shares of JNJ common stock for an initial sum of $12.9 billion. This transaction is expected to conclude by the second quarter of 2013 and indicates the company's commitment to returning capital to shareholders and managing its equity structure. Furthermore, JNJ confirmed receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals for its acquisition of Synthes, Inc., with a target closing date of June 14, 2012. The acquisition, valued at approximately $19.7 billion, will be paid for with cash on hand and shares repurchased under the ASR agreements, with no new debt anticipated. This acquisition is expected to be accretive to JNJ's earnings per share, initially by $0.03-$0.05 in 2012 and $0.10-$0.15 in 2013, after accounting for integration costs and other special items.
Key Highlights
- 1Johnson & Johnson, via Janssen Pharmaceutical, initiated an Accelerated Share Repurchase (ASR) program to buy back approximately 203.7 million shares of its common stock for $12.9 billion.
- 2The ASR program involves agreements with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, with final settlement expected in Q2 2013.
- 3All necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained for the acquisition of Synthes, Inc.
- 4The Synthes acquisition is expected to close on June 14, 2012, for a total purchase price of approximately $19.7 billion.
- 5The acquisition will be financed by existing cash and shares purchased under the ASR program; no new debt is anticipated.
- 6The Synthes acquisition is projected to be accretive to JNJ's adjusted earnings per share (EPS) by $0.03-$0.05 in 2012 and $0.10-$0.15 in 2013.
- 7JNJ will record an estimated $1.1 billion in after-tax special items for the remainder of 2012 related to the acquisition, including integration costs.