The shareholders of Ovostar agricultural holding have approved the proposal of the Board of Directors to abandon the payment of dividends based on the results of 2023 and allocate the entire net profit of $44.975 million to the retained earnings reserve.
According to the company’s announcement on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, the decision was made at the annual shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday, with 95.05% of the shareholders participating.
The general meeting decided to approve and accept the financial statements and the independent auditors’ report thereon.
In addition, it approved the reappointment of Markiyan Markevych as a non-executive director of the company.
The total remuneration paid to the directors of the agricultural holding during the year ending December 31, 2024, was set by the shareholders at an amount not exceeding EUR 500 thousand.
All directors of Ovostar from all management actions and any liability in relation thereto during the financial year ended December 31, 2023.
The shareholders also authorized the Board of Directors of Ovostar to hold a tender for the selection and appointment of the independent auditors of the agricultural holding for the financial year 2024 and to determine their remuneration.
Ovostar Union is one of the leading producers of eggs and egg products in Ukraine. “In 2023, Ovostar increased its net profit by 7.4 times to $45 million, EBITDA by 4.5 times to $50.4 million, and revenue by 20% to $162.5 million.
In mid-June 2011, the group’s holding company, Ovostar Union N.V., conducted an IPO of 25% of its shares on the WSE at PLN62 per share ($22.78 at the then exchange rate) and raised $33.2 million.
At the end of May this year, the owners of 65.93% of the shares announced that together with Fairfax Financial Holding they had accumulated 95.45% of the agricultural holding and were ready to buy out the remaining 4.55% of the shares held by minority shareholders. During the announced voluntary buyout at a price of PLN70 per share (about $17.5), they acquired another 56,027 shares, or 0.934%, and now own 96.383%.
“The offerors intend to exercise the squeeze-out right … in order to acquire 100% of the company’s shares at a price of PLN70 per share,” Ovostar said in early July, recalling its delisting plans.
Before the trading was suspended, Ovostar shares were listed at PLN68.4 per share, and after the announcement of the Cypriot regulator’s approval of the squeeze-out in early August, the price dropped by 1.44%.
