Edgars Consolidated Stores (Edcon), one of South Africa’s largest retailers, will see its shares split in a ratio of 10 new shares for every one existing Edcon share at the beginning of trade on Monday July 25, the company said on Wednesday.
The share split, which was approved by Edcon shareholders at the group’s annual general meeting earlier on Wednesday, will facilitate a staff empowerment transaction in which the group will issue 56,5-million ordinary Edcon shares (10,6% of the group’s equity) to the Edcon Staff Empowerment Trust. The shares are scheduled to be allocated on July 21.
Approximately 18 000 permanent and permanent-part time employees, of whom 94% are black, will receive an allocation of units in the trust, with the units entitling them to semi-annual empowerment payments.
“Eligible staff can look forward to receiving their first empowerment payment, the value of which is directly linked to Edcon’s dividend declaration, in January 2006,” said Edcon CEO Steve Ross.
“It is gratifying that our shareholders support this initiative to empower our employees. It is an acknowledgement that the future prosperity of the country and the company hinges on the positive transformation of South African society. In that context, this staff empowerment trust should be seen as an investment rather than a cost.”
Approximately 93% of the value created in terms of the transaction will accrue to Edcon’s black employees. The cost of the transaction to Edcon will be approximately 2,9% of its market capitalisation (at R277 per share), or 5% of its headline earnings.
Currently, an estimated 16% of Edcon’s ordinary shares are owned by black shareholders through pension or provident funds and unit trusts.
Ross emphasised that the trust is another step along Edcon’s path to transformation, which incorporates the key pillars of employment equity, preferential procurement and social development, in addition to company ownership. He indicated that the company is in the process of finalising a revised procurement policy after a long period of research.
“During our 2005 financial year, we spent in excess of R23-million on corporate social investment initiatives. We continue to exceed our internal targets for employment equity, with 87% of staff and 57% of management now black,” Ross concluded.
The last day to trade in Edcon ordinary shares with a par value of 10 cents each will be on Friday July 22. Trading will start in new Edcon ordinary shares with a par value of one cent each on the following Monday. — I-Net Bridge