Australian takeover target Link opens books to SS&C Technologies


Las bolsas europeas abrieron a la baja el jueves por unos datos económicos decepcionantes en Alemania y Francia que arrojaron nuevas dudas sobe la recuperación económica de la zona euro. En la imagen, un hombre mira las pantallas de los índices bursátiles en la Bolsa de Nueva York el 13 de marzo de 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

(Reuters) -Link Administration Holdings said on Thursday it would give U.S. software firm SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc due diligence access, to better its A$3.02 billion ($2.25 billion) offer in the race to buy the shareholder registry firm.

Link said SS&C Technologies’ A$5.65 per share offer was not compelling enough, despite being nearly 5% higher than a rival bid from private equity firms Carlyle Group and Pacific Equity Partners.

SS&C Technologies and the private equity duo now both have access to Link’s books.

Shares of Link on Wednesday ended higher than the Carlyle-backed consortium’s A$5.40 per share offer, but shy of SS&C Technologies’ bid.

Link, which also provides services to fund managers and trading firms, said in October it was looking at potentially spinning-off PEXA, an online property transaction firm owned 44.2% by Link, into a separate listed company.

The Carlyle offer also includes an option to buy Link without PEXA for A$3.80 per share.