Glencore eyes finish line in Xstrata deal
he added there was certainly a chance the retention plan would not get shareholder approval.
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A strong vote against the 140-million-pound ($223-million)plan would be an embarrassing blow for Xstrata's board, its outgoing chief executive, mining veteran Mick Davis, and for its chairman, John Bond, formerly of Vodafone and HSBC.
Bond argued the company needed the plan to ensure key managers stay on after the tie- up, as Xstrata is shifting to a period of organic growth - with large, complex projects in the pipeline - after a decade of acquisitions. Xstrata started with the $2.5-billion purchase of Glencore coal assets.
But the golden handcuffs have been lambasted by investors and risked sinking the tie- up, until a voting structure that had made the whole deal conditional on the pay plan was revised.
Qatar said last week it would abstain on the issue of retention pay, increasing the chances that that vote will not pass. Glencore will also not vote its shares.
Glencore, Xstrata's largest shareholder with a 34-percent stake, is offering 3.05 new shares for every Xstrata share to make good finally on its hopes of forging a mining and trading combine that can give it greater clout in global markets. The shares closed on Monday at prices implying a ratio of 2.92.
When Tuesday is over, however, shareholders and Glencore itself could be focusing on the task ahead, including potential non-core asset sales, an overhaul of Xstrata's project pipeline and even potential future deals. Glencore, Stanojevic said, is one
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