US online travel company Priceline has pumped more than US$100 million to buy Ctrip shares in the open market recently, boosting its holding in Ctrip to 13.44% as of September 14.
The information of United States Securities and Exchange Commission shows that Priceline bought 1,589,600 Ctrip American Deposit Shares (ADS) in 20 transactions in the period between August 18 to September 14 this year, at between US$59.8184 to US$69.9670 per share. Priceline now holds a total of 17,502,750 Ctrip ADS.
Ctrip’s annual report issued on March 31 this year shows that Priceline owned 3,190,458 Ctrip ordinary shares (12,761,832 ADS), equivalent to 8.98% holding, and that makes it Ctrip’s largest shareholder. If Ctrip’s total issued shares are unchanged, Priceline’s latest acquisitions will have increased its Ctrip equity to 13.44%.
Priceline bought US$500 million of Ctrip’s convertible bonds on August 7 last year, and some of these have been converted to Ctrip shares subsequently. Prior to this, Priceline has also been buying Ctrip shares in the open market.
At the closing Ctrip share price of US$66.92 this morning, Priceline total investment in Ctrip is worth close to US1.2 billion.(Translation by Shuk)
