While the new board meeting of Wheelock Group was in full swing, a secret conference room of Cheung Kong Holdings Group in the Chinese Bank Building in the bustling district of Central was also enveloped in a tense and focused atmosphere.
In this conference room, the elite team under Li Chaoren and the think tank of the group gathered together. Their eyes shone with anticipation and determination for unknown challenges.
In the conference room, the air seemed to be solidified, and every breath was accompanied by deep thoughts about the future.
Two years ago, after acquiring Hutchison Whampoa in Sioux City, Li Ka-shing also summoned his subordinates to discuss matters. Now that the acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa failed, a new challenge has quietly emerged - looking for the next one A British-owned foreign giant worth conquering.
After careful consideration and careful analysis, everyone’s eyes invariably focused on Wheelock Group.
This major British bank with a long history and extensive business has its strategic value and market potential that are self-evident.
More importantly, the sale intention revealed by John Madden, chairman of Wheelock Group, was like an unexploded bomb, allowing Cheung Kong Industries to see the dawn of opportunity.
Although there have been precedents of attempted sales before, the think tank of Cheung Kong Holdings firmly believes that opportunities always come to those who are prepared.
They feel that once John Madden or his successor considers exiting again, the future of Wheelock Group may usher in a major turning point.
Cheung Kong Holdings is the hunter who is well prepared and ready to go.
However, this takeover battle has not been an easy road.
As a competitor that also covets Wheelock, Jardine Matheson has already made secret arrangements. The competition between the two sides in the stock market is quiet but fierce.
Although Cheung Kong's team has tried its best, facing the strong rivals of Jardine Matheson, progress is still slow. So far, it only holds 9.7% of Wheelock Group's shares, and has not yet reached a critical point that can affect the situation.
“Dear colleagues, we are standing at a critical crossroads at this moment. There are two roads before us: one is to choose to give up, which means that we need to quickly adjust our strategies and look for opportunities to properly handle them. With the Wheelock shares in hand, we will turn our attention to other more potential acquisition targets;
The second is to continue to persist, but we must be soberly aware that this road may be long and full of unknowns, and the final result There is a high probability that it will not be what we want. Our opponents are much stronger than us. To continue moving forward, we need to have greater determination and wisdom to face the possibility of a failure
I know that every attempt and challenge is accompanied by risks and uncertainties. Especially for me, who is over fifty years old, past setbacks have undoubtedly left a mark on my heart.
However, I also believe that it is these experiences that have shaped us today, making us more resilient and better able to find opportunities in adversity.
Now, I hope everyone can communicate openly and brainstorm. We not only need to discuss how to deal with the current difficulties, but also plan a new blueprint for the company's future development.
No matter which path is chosen, it must be based on the common belief and determination of our team, as well as a deep insight into market trends.
Let us go hand in hand, whether we continue to move forward or adjust the direction, maintain the desire and pursuit of success, and jointly create a more brilliant future for Yangtze River Industries. ”
Li Ka-shing's words revealed a complex and deep emotion, including emotions about the past and expectations for the future. He used his own experience to inspire the team to face challenges together and find new development opportunities.
In fact, Li Ka-shing's business philosophy has always been to maintain a steady pace while actively seeking development. In the past two years, although he failed to successfully acquire Wharf and Hutchison Whampoa, this did not bring him substantial losses.
On the contrary, in the trading of Wharf stocks, he skillfully operated and achieved considerable profits of HK$60 million.
As for Hutchison Whampoa, although the acquisition failed, he also ensured that the investment in the process was properly managed and did not cause any unnecessary losses.
In the past two years, Cheung Kong Industrial Group has developed rapidly. It has not only made remarkable achievements in the real estate field in Xiangjiang City, but also expanded its business territory to Singapore, Singapore and other places, demonstrating its strong expansion capabilities and market adaptability. force.
Today’s Yangtze River Industrial Group’s strength cannot be underestimated.
However, Li Ka-shing is very clear that although the Yangtze River Industrial Group is strong enough, there is still a certain gap compared with the world's richest man in Suzhou City.
This sober understanding made him consider the future strategic direction more carefully.
Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, he is more inclined to advocate giving up the continued acquisition of Wheelock Group and instead investing his energy and resources in areas that are more certain and more in line with the long-term development of the group.
Such a decision not only reflects Li Ka-shing's foresight as a successful entrepreneur, but also demonstrates his thoughtful consideration for the future development of Cheung Kong Holdings.
In convening this meeting, Li Ka-shing knew that he needed to obtain unanimous approval from the team to ensure the smooth progress of follow-up actions.
After all, as a listed company, Cheung Kong Group plays a key role in decision-making, but collective wisdom and consensus are also indispensable.
“Mr. Chairman, after in-depth discussions among our think tanks, we believe that it is a wise choice to give up the acquisition of Wheelock Group.
The Xiangjiang market still contains abundant opportunities, especially In the field of British-owned enterprises, in addition to Jardine Matheson, which is currently beyond our reach, Swire & Co. is undoubtedly a potential target worthy of in-depth consideration
In addition, there are many British-funded enterprises of moderate scale and promising prospects waiting for our exploration.
Concerning Wheelock Group's stock, we propose a flexible strategy where we can first send a tentative signal to Mr. Su Cheng to understand whether he intends to take over entirely.
Given that we have always focused on absorbing low-priced stocks, the cost of the Wheelock shares currently held is relatively low. If there is an opportunity to transfer to Mr. Su Cheng, we will not only be able to exit safely, but also realize A considerable profit, which is undoubtedly an effective increase in the value of the company's assets.
As for the next acquisition plan, we advocate maintaining a cautious and optimistic attitude and first conduct a comprehensive and in-depth review of the market.
Only when we find a target that is in line with the group's development strategy and has good growth potential, it is not too late to take action decisively.
We believe that with the joint efforts of everyone, Changjiang Industrial Group will be able to seize more opportunities and achieve a more brilliant future! "The head of the think tank stood up straight and expressed their thoughts on behalf of the entire team. (End of Chapter)