Debra Borchardt
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE | TSX: ACB) sold off its final 28,833,334 shares of The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd (CSE: TGOD) (OTC: TGODF) at a price of $3.00 per share for gross proceeds of roughly $86.5 million. The stock was lately trading at C$3.51 on the CSE and $2.63 on the OTC. The share represent 10.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of TGOD.
“Aurora has a broad portfolio of strategic investments that allow us to participate in opportunities throughout the cannabis sector, while providing the company with non-dilutive access to capital,” said Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora. “We evaluate our investment portfolio on a regular basis to make sure it continues to align with our investment strategy and corporate priorities. When we acquired Whistler Medical Marijuana Corporation – an iconic and premium organic cannabis producer – our interest in TGOD became less important to our core strategy. Our return on our TGOD investment is significant and will add non-dilutive capital and further enhance our strategy to remain a dominant force in the global cannabis industry.”
The investment turned out to be a winner for Aurora. The company said that the sale represented an approximate 50% internal rate of return for the company. Aurora said it no longer holds any shares of TGOD, but it does continue to hold warrants to purchase 16,666,667 shares of TGOD.
TGOD stock got a lift on Tuesday after announcing it got approval from Health Canada to expand operations into its new hybrid greenhouse located in Hamilton, Ontario. The new facility is the third phase of TGOD’s Hamilton site, measuring 166,000 square feet with an annual production capacity of 17,500 kgs of premium organic cannabis.
Mo Money
Selling the TGOD shares was a quick way to bring money to the company’s coffers. In June, Stifel initiated coverage of Aurora with a Hold rating. The analyst W. Andrew Carter wrote, “Aurora Cannabis’ near-term growth strategy hinges heavily on its ability to return to the capital markets. The company has filed a base shelf prospectus of $750 million (roughly C$1 billion) and in conjunction with its 3Q19 earnings release, announced a supplement that included a $400 million of “at-the-market” distributions over a period of up to 25 months.”
At that time the stock was trading at C$10.65 and the analyst had a target price of C$10.00. The stock was lately trading at C$7.57.
The analyst went on to add, ” We question if Aurora has fully embraced the level of investment necessary to sustain a leading position in the Canadian market, and we believe the company could be challenged without the expertise of a consumer partner with a vested interest in the success of Aurora.”
