(By Balaseshan) Health insurer Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) is expanding its core insurance business with the deal to buy Coventry Health Care Inc. (NYSE:CVH) for $7.3 billion including assumption of debt. Following the news, shares of CVH jumped 20.46% in premarket.
Under the terms of the agreement, which has been approved by both the companies' board of directors, Coventry stockholders will receive $27.30 in cash and 0.3885 Aetna common shares for each Coventry share, a total value of $42.08 per share, representing a 20.8% premium to Coventry's previous closing price.
Excluding transaction and integration costs, the transaction is projected to be modestly accretive to Aetna's operating earnings per share in 2013, $0.45 accretive in 2014 and $0.90 accretive in 2015.
Aetna expects to finance the cash portion of the transaction with a combination of cash on hand and by issuing about $2.5 billion of new debt and commercial paper.
The acquisition is projected to add nearly 4 million medical members and 1.5 million Medicare Part D members to Aetna's membership. On a pro forma basis, the transaction increases Aetna's share of revenues from Government business to over 30% from 23% currently.
"Integrating Coventry into Aetna will complement our strategy to expand our core insurance business, increase our presence in the fast-growing Government sector and expand our relationships with providers in local geographies," said Mark Bertolini, Aetna's chairman, CEO and president.
The transaction also will create a significant synergy opportunity to further Aetna's efforts to increase its operating efficiency. Aetna expects synergies from the transaction to be $400 million annually in 2015.
Coventry offers a full portfolio of risk and fee-based products, including Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D programs, Medicaid managed care plans, group and individual health insurance, coverage for specialty services such as workers' compensation, and network rental services.
The acquisition is expected to close in mid-2013.
Aetna's financial advisors were Goldman Sachs and UBS Investment Bank. Coventry's financial advisor was Greenhill and Co.
AET closed Friday's regular session down 0.34% at $38.04, while CVH ended up 0.66% at $34.94.