In re DFC Global Corp.
Court says uncertainty about company’s future performance and viability limits reliability of values derived from DCF and multiples-based comparable company analyses as well as deal price; court blends three “imperfect techniques” to determine fair value.
Chancery Achieves Fair Value by Blending Three ‘Imperfect Techniques’
Court says uncertainty about company’s future performance and viability limits reliability of values derived from DCF and multiples-based comparable company analyses as well as deal price; court blends three “imperfect techniques” to determine fair value.
Why Del. Chancery rejects merger price in 'Dell' statutory appraisal action
It decided to give no weight to the final merger price—$13.75 per share, and a special $0.13 dividend issued to all shareholders—but rely exclusively on its own post-transaction DCF analysis to determine the fair value of the company. In so doing, the court deviated from a number of Chancery decisions—several issued in 2015—that found the deal price was the most reliable indicator of the company’s fair value.
Cdx Holdings, Inc. v. Fox (Fox II)
In medical company valuation case, high court affirms award to option holders based on deference owed to trial court’s findings of historical fact; dissent says Chancery’s dismissal of board members’ valuation testimony evinces Chancery’s hindsight bias.
High Court Dissent Rebukes Chancery’s Analysis in Option Valuation Case
In medical company valuation case, high court affirms award to option holders based on deference owed to trial court’s findings of historical fact; dissent says Chancery’s dismissal ...
In re Appraisal of Dell Inc.
For statutory appraisal, Chancery says sales process related to management buyout “functioned imperfectly as a price discovery tool” and gives no weight to final merger price; court relies exclusively on DCF analysis to derive fair value of the company.
Subsequent Transaction Too Remote to Allow for Reliable Valuation
In gift tax dispute involving decades-old transaction by a media magnate, Tax Court upholds IRS’s deficiency ruling and credits agency expert’s valuation of transferred stock based on a similar arm’s-length transaction occurring near the valuation date.
Uncertainty Over Key Inputs Compromises DCF, Chancery Says
Chancery favors merger price, without synergy adjustment, over DCF-generated value, noting uncertainties over key inputs such as projections, equity risk premium, terminal growth rate as well as the “wildly divergent” DCF results of the parties’ experts.
Chancery Lauds Advisor’s ‘Heroic’ Efforts at Credible DCF
In joint fairness/statutory appraisal action, Chancery finds defendants’ fraud defeated financial advisor’s ability to produce reliable DCF, notwithstanding advisor’s “heroic” efforts to create “the most credible and reliable projections in the case.”
Adjusted Merger Price Superior to Other Valuation Methods
In appraisal arbitrage case, Chancery finds merger price adjusted for synergies is best indicator of fair value of company; dissenter’s DCF value rests on unsound management projections and its comparable transactions analysis uses too few data points.
Merion Capital LP & Merion Capital II LP v. BMC Software
Chancery favors merger price, without synergy adjustment, over DCF-generated value, noting uncertainties over key inputs such as projections, equity risk premium, terminal growth rate as well as the “wildly divergent” DCF results of the parties’ experts.
Corwin v. KKR Fin. Holdings LLC
Regarding breach of fiduciary duty claims, Delaware Supreme Court says business judgment rule (lower standard of review) applies where disinterested stockholder majority approves merger with third party and vote was uncoerced and fully informed.
Chancery Decries Accounting Firm’s Compromised Valuation
Chancery says major accounting firm’s merger-related appraisal represents “new low”; to achieve client’s goal of zero corporate tax liability, firm abandoned sound prior approaches and simply copied another accounting firm’s report and called it its own.
In re Dole Food Co. (Dole III)
In joint fairness/statutory appraisal action, Chancery finds defendants’ fraud defeated financial advisor’s ability to produce reliable DCF, notwithstanding advisor’s “heroic” efforts to create “the most credible and reliable projections in the case.”
Fox v. CDx Holdings
Chancery says major accounting firm’s merger-related appraisal represents “new low”; to achieve client’s goal of zero corporate tax liability, firm abandoned sound prior approaches and simply copied another accounting firm’s report and called it its own.
LongPath Capital, LLC v. Ramtron International Corp.
In appraisal arbitrage case, Chancery finds merger price adjusted for synergies is best indicator of fair value of company; dissenter’s DCF value rests on unsound management projections and its comparable transactions analysis uses too few data points.
Chancery Assigns Secondary Role to Post-Merger DCF
In an appraisal action, Chancery says merger price stemming from robust sales process is best indicator of value; court’s own DCF valuation “is close to the market,” but problematic projections make it more suitable as a check on the sales-derived price.
Delaware Chancery Orders Disclosure of Nonexpert Internal Valuations
In discovery dispute over prelitigation valuation-related information, Chancery orders dissenting shareholders to disclose internal assessments of stock value finding information likely is admissible reflecting “real-world” opinion of “astute” investors.
Zelouf Court Reasserts Its Objection to DLOM
New York court rejects majority owners’ post-trial objection to prior ruling against DLOM based on unlikelihood of sale of the business; court is guided by fairness, noting “a DLOM here would be the economic equivalent of imposing a minority discount.”