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  5. IMO: Imperial is doing a modified Dutch auction. [Imperial Oil Limited]
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Q: Imperial is doing a modified Dutch auction. I know in general in past comments you seem to have suggested not tendering to these offerings, I think at least in part because if you still believe in the company then after the shares are bought back you own a bigger piece of a company you already like? What is the opposite side of this decision, why do people tender to these offers? Are you aware of anything in this particular offering that makes it attractive? (As an additional wrinkle, if I read the details correctly, if the shares are held by an IOL employee in their company savings plan, the disposition would be considered a dividend for tax purposes as opposed to a capital gain). Any thoughts appreciated.
Asked by Stephen R. on November 27, 2023
5i Research Answer:

A Dutch Auction, unlike a normal course issuer bid, purchases a large block of shares all at once. Yes, usually when a company is repurchasing shares aggressively through a Dutch auction, that means management believes shares are undervalued and wants to take advantage of that discount for the staying shareholders. In addition, if investors like what they own, after the auction they now own a bigger piece of the company than they did before.  Investors who choose to sell in the tender may do so for different reasons:  Maybe investors need cash for personal reasons or other reinvestment opportunities, etc. and the tender would be an opportunity for them to get out at a better price  than average with healthy liquidity. A large shareholder may see better liquidity in tendering to an auction than selling into the market. There is also no commission on tendering. The tender is a decent one, around $1.5B, or cancelling around 3.4% of the shares outstanding within a short period of time. IMO is a well-managed company that is shareholder-friendly. We think this policy would benefit long-term shareholders who stay, and we would not tender the shares here.