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Fiat reaches deal to buy remaining 41.5% of Chrysler shares
Guardian (UK) ^ | Wednesday 1 January 2014 18.26 EST

Posted on 01/01/2014 6:50:57 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin

Italian car manufacturer Fiat announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement to acquire the remaining shares of Chrysler for $3.65bn to a union-controlled trust fund.

Fiat already owns 58.5% of Chrysler's shares, with the remaining 41.5% held by a United Auto Workers trust fund that pays health care bills for retirees.

Under the deal, Fiat will make an initial payment of $1.9bn to the fund, plus an additional $1.75bn upon closing the deal.

Chrysler will also make additional payments totalling $700m to the fund as part of an agreement with the UAW. The deal is expected to close on or before 20 January, according to a statement from Chrysler.

Sergio Marchionne has long sought to acquire the union's shares in order to combine Fiat and Chrysler.

"The unified ownership structure will now allow us to fully execute our vision of creating a global automaker that is truly unique in terms of mix of experience, perspective and knowhow, a solid and open organisation," Marchionne said in a statement.

The deal eliminates the need for an initial public offering of the union fund's stake, which analysts had previously valued at $5.6bn.

Marchionne cannot spend Chrysler's cash on Fiat's operations unless the companies merge. In recent months he made it clear that he preferred to settle the dispute without an IPO, but filed the paperwork for the offering in September at the trust's request.

Chrysler's profits helped prop up Fiat's balance sheet as the Italian firm struggles in the depressed European market.

The Michigan-based car company earned $464 million in the third quarter on US sales of the Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee, its ninth straight profitable quarter. The results boosted Fiat, which earned $260m in the quarter. Without Chrysler's contribution, Fiat would have lost $340m.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: automakers; chrysler; fiat; italy; michigan
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1 posted on 01/01/2014 6:50:57 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
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To: DeaconBenjamin

I wonder how much money the DNC will get out of this?


2 posted on 01/01/2014 6:52:34 PM PST by Parley Baer
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To: DeaconBenjamin

Great, so the Italians can ruin whatever the feds and Germans missed.


3 posted on 01/01/2014 6:53:57 PM PST by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

Great. Chrysler is now fully a foreign owned nameplate. Thanks Obama.


4 posted on 01/01/2014 6:55:30 PM PST by TwelveOfTwenty (See my home page for some of my answers to the left's talking points.)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

My neighbor traded in her Smart car for a little Fiat. I guess she likes those little clown cars.


5 posted on 01/01/2014 6:55:49 PM PST by Huskrrrr
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To: Parley Baer

More to the point, how much U.S. taxpayer money went into this continued destruction of American capitalism???

Remember, we Americans are being forced into feeding a Marxist agenda.


6 posted on 01/01/2014 6:56:09 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: DeaconBenjamin
"The unified ownership structure will now allow us to fully execute our vision of creating a global automaker that is truly unique in terms of mix of experience, perspective and knowhow, a solid and open organisation,"

"And more importantly, we get rid of those greedy union people!"

We might build our cars in South Carolina or Georgia or Texas.

FU UAW!!!!!!

7 posted on 01/01/2014 6:56:28 PM PST by RoosterRedux (The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing -- Socrates)
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To: Huskrrrr

Fiat = Fix It Again, Tony.


8 posted on 01/01/2014 6:57:53 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: DeaconBenjamin

Fiat is paying $3.65 billion to the Union trust fund. The shares were valued by analysts at $5.6 billion. How soon will it be before the union mismanages these funds, can’t make pension payments to the Chrysler workers, and comes running to the US government for a bailout because it didn’t get the full value of its shares from Fiat?


9 posted on 01/01/2014 6:58:25 PM PST by Soul of the South (Yesterday is gone. Today will be what we make of it.)
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To: Huskrrrr
Those little Fiats are beautiful until compressed into a small box by a semi.

I would buy one if they were serviced by the Chrysler dealerships. They could give the Cooper Mini's a run for their money.

10 posted on 01/01/2014 6:58:32 PM PST by RoosterRedux (The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing -- Socrates)
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To: DeaconBenjamin
so the taxpayers are out another $1.3BILLION... is that it???
11 posted on 01/01/2014 6:59:45 PM PST by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -vvv- NO Pity for the LAZY - 86-44)
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To: DeaconBenjamin
As to the quality of Fiat automobiles, to those in the know, the name FIAT has always provided its own inherent message as to the quality of its cars, trucks. Fix It Again, Tony.
12 posted on 01/01/2014 7:01:05 PM PST by lbryce (Obama:The Worst is Yet To Come)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Uh-oh, and they’ll probably buy it with (gasp!) Fiat money!!!

Thanks DeaconBenjamin.


13 posted on 01/01/2014 7:03:14 PM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

A laundering scheme.

They steal it from U.S. taxpayers, and give it to the “world”.

Thieving plunder.


14 posted on 01/01/2014 7:03:37 PM PST by Born to Conserve
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To: lbryce; a fool in paradise

The Chairman of the company flies to Detroit by Alitalia Airline (Always Late In Takeoff, Always Late In Arrival.)


15 posted on 01/01/2014 7:04:03 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: Huskrrrr
I guess she likes those little clown cars.

Quit insulting clown cars....

16 posted on 01/01/2014 7:05:07 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

Fiat’s FIRST move should now be to introduce the Strada small pickup to Chrysler’s US Market, under the Dodge nameplate.

Far better than the Colorado, and cheaper.


17 posted on 01/01/2014 7:05:31 PM PST by tcrlaf (Well, it is what the Sheeple voted for....)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

“to a union-controlled trust fund.”

I give it 5 years.


18 posted on 01/01/2014 7:06:14 PM PST by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: tcrlaf
You know the Strada is coming. It and the 500 were the driving force behind this deal.
19 posted on 01/01/2014 7:09:47 PM PST by RoosterRedux (The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing -- Socrates)
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To: RoosterRedux

it’s a foreign company, we are down to 1.5 US companies


20 posted on 01/01/2014 7:10:17 PM PST by GeronL (Extra Large Cheesy Over-Stuffed Hobbit)
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