Wharf (Holdings) has sold its majority stake in Beauforte Investors Corp to metal trader Wonson International Holdings in a transaction that earned the company HK$298.15 million.
The sale was part of a bid to reduce the number of listed companies within the Wharf group.
The conglomerate unexpectedly chose to sell the holding to Wonson - which has a market capitalisation of HK$272 million, slightly below the transaction value - rather than the rumoured buyer, Asia2B.
Sources at Asia2B, a business-to-business joint venture between United States e-commerce company Commerce One and seven Hong Kong conglomerates, said discussions with Beauforte were terminated 'some time ago'.
Under the new agreement, Wonson will pay HK$29.20 per share - a hefty 107.09 per cent premium over Beauforte's price before suspension - for 34.87 per cent of Beauforte and will take control of the board of directors.
As Wonson and Wharf are considered independent parties, Wonson will not make a general offer to minority shareholders.
That will leave Wharf and a connected party with 17.95 per cent in Beauforte after the transaction. The companies have stated that they do not intend to hold these remaining stakes.