Searchlight Capital makes new offer to buy control in Israel's Bezeq

B Communications

03/03/2019 08:00

JERUSALEM, March 3 (Reuters) - 
    * U.S. private investment firm Searchlight Capital Partners
has
made a new offer to buy a controlling stake in the parent
company of Bezeq Israel Telecom  BEZQ.TA , according to a
regulatory filing on Sunday.
    * Internet Gold  IGLD.TA  has been searching for a buyer for
its
majority stake in B Communications  BCOM.TA  since mid-2018
under pressure from bondholders. BCom's single asset is a 26.34
percent controlling stake in Bezeq, Israel's largest telecoms
group.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2050CT
    * Searchlight is ready to buy 19.4 million BCom shares from
Internet Gold for 20 shekels per share, the filing said.
    * Last month Searchlight had placed an offer to buy the
shares at
17 shekels each to be paid at the closing plus up to another 8
shekels a share contingent on meeting certain targets. It also
offered a second option of 17.5 shekels a share with no further
conditions.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2050CT


 (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Tova Cohen)
 ((steven.scheer@thomsonreuters.com; +972 2 632 2210; Reuters
Messaging: steven.scheer.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net;
Twitter: @StevenMScheer))