(Corrects spelling of 'Canaccord' Genuity in paragraph 10; The
error occurred in a previous version too)
* Iberdrola's offer is 7.5% higher than rival bid
* Top Infigen shareholder backs Iberdrola bid
* Infigen shares hit 3-yr high, topping offer price
By Sonali Paul and Shashwat Awasthi
MELBOURNE/BENGALURU, June 17 (Reuters) - Spain's Iberdrola
has made an agreed A$828 million ($569 million) bid for
Australian wind and solar firm Infigen Energy IFN.AX , topping
an offer from Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corp AC.PS .
Iberdrola's bid comes as it looks to invest a record 10
billion euros ($11 billion) this year through acquisitions and
wind farm projects, including in France and the United States.
"The acquisition of Infigen is a unique opportunity for the
Iberdrola group to consolidate its presence in the attractive
Australian renewable energy market through a friendly
transaction," Iberdrola said in a statement.
Iberdrola is already building a 320 megawatt renewable
energy project in South Australia.
Infigen accepted Iberdrola's offer and urged shareholders to
reject an earlier bid from UAC Energy, a joint venture of
Ayala's AC Energy ACEPH.PS and Hong Kong-based UPC Renewables
Group, as the Spanish bid was 7.5% higher with fewer conditions.
"The offer from Iberdrola follows an extended period of
engagement with Infigen regarding potential cooperation or a
control transaction," Infigen said.
Infigen said its top shareholder, British activist investor
TCI Fund Management, has agreed to sell 20% of Infigen
securities, most of its holding, to Iberdrola, if no higher bid
emerges.
Iberdrola and UAC pounced on Infigen after its share price
slumped due to falling power prices in Australia and challenges
facing wind and solar firms hooking up projects to a shaky grid.
Iberdrola, advised by Nomura, will pay A$0.86 a share for
Infigen, 46% more than Infigen's closing price on June 2, the
day before UAC landed its unexpected bid. "It's not a knockout blow," said Canaccord Genuity analyst
James Bullen, who has an 89 cent target price on Infigen.
Infigen shares jumped 8.5% to a three-year high of 89 cents,
suggesting investors expect a bidding war.
Analysts had expected counterbids for Infigen, as it is
attractive for its seven wind farms and a large pipeline of
projects which it recently put on hold to save money.
UAC is considering its position, a spokeswoman said.
Other companies looking to expand in renewables in Australia
include France's Total Eren TOTF.PA and Neoen NEOEN.PA .
($1 = 1.4541 Australian dollars)
($1 = 0.8882 euros)