In today's edition, Motley Fool analyst Joel South discusses Yongye International and looks into the proposed sale of the company to a group of private investors led by Yongye's board of directors and CEO. The proposed deal of $6.60 per share for the Chinese agriculture company is close to a 40% premium from last Friday's close.
Even at a premium, this deal does not appear to be in the best interest of shareholders. The $6.60 per share is still significantly undervalued compared to the $7.60 book value per share. Yongye has no debt and has been growing both its top and bottom lines at an enormous clip over the past few years. This deal could fall apart because of the potential fiduciary conflict Yongye CEO Zishen Wu faces in taking the company private but also trying to find a value that is fair for shareholders and not too expensive for his holding company.
