Brazil's Dasa prepares potential $286 mln share offer
SAO PAULO, March 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian medical services firm Dasa has hired banks for a potential primary offering of shares worth 1.5 billion reais ($286 million) to be launched at the end of the month, the company said in a securities filing on Friday.
The launch is expected to happen next week, while the offer pricing is set to take place throughout April, Dasa said, adding that the offering may include supplementary and additional lots.
Formally Diagnosticos da America SA, Dasa owns diagnostic medicine labs and hospitals and said early this month it was evaluating opportunities to strengthen its capital structure.
The company said Friday that its controlling shareholders have committed to partially use their priority right to subscribe for 1 billion reais in shares, while bank BTG Pactual will provide a firm guarantee - when the risk of the offer remains with the bank - of 500 million reais, in both cases at 8.50 reais per share.
The healthcare group, controlled by the Bueno family, also said it plans to issue warrants for every 10 new shares issued in the offering.
Banks BTG Pactual, Bradesco BBI and Itau BBA will hold the offering, the company said.
The operation is still subject to external conditions such as political and macroeconomic scenarios, besides obtaining internal approvals, Dasa said. ($1 = 5.2463 reais) (Reporting by André Romani; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Leslie Adler)
