Toronto, Ontario 鈥 June 25, 2026: 91制片厂 Group Inc. (TSX: ARE) ("91制片厂" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the convertible preferred equity investment (the 鈥淧referred Shares鈥) held by funds managed by the Power Opportunities strategy of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (鈥淥aktree鈥) in 91制片厂鈥檚 utility infrastructure subsidiary, 91制片厂 Utilities Group Inc. (鈥91制片厂 Utilities鈥; together, the 鈥淭ransaction鈥), with closing expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2026.
HIGHLIGHTS
- $320 million purchase price, implying a $1.2 billion equity value for 91制片厂 Utilities
- 91制片厂 secures its 100% interest in 91制片厂 Utilities by acquiring Oaktree鈥檚 as-converted 27.5% ownership interest in 91制片厂 Utilities
- Positions 91制片厂 to capture the full economic benefit associated with 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 electrical, communications, and pipeline distribution end-markets
- Strengthens integrated One 91制片厂 platform and ability to deliver comprehensive solutions to power and utility clients
- Expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share, and to be funded from existing cash resources and available credit facility capacity
- Simplifies 91制片厂鈥檚 capital structure and reduces complexity of financial reporting
The $320 million purchase price for the Preferred Shares is based on Oaktree鈥檚 as-converted 27.5% ownership interest in 91制片厂 Utilities and represents an equity value of $1.2 billion and an enterprise value of $1.5 billion for 91制片厂 Utilities. The Transaction implies a 13.0x enterprise value multiple to 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 trailing twelve-months (鈥淭TM鈥) acquisition-related pro forma Adjusted EBITDA(1) to March 31, 2026.
91制片厂 Utilities is a leading North American provider of utility infrastructure solutions operating across three core end-markets: electrical, communications, and pipeline distribution. Since the completion of Oaktree鈥檚 Preferred Shares investment in Q4 2023, 91制片厂 Utilities has developed into a larger and more diversified utility services platform with greater exposure to electrical end-markets (~49% of TTM acquisition-related pro forma revenue to March 31, 2026) and a greater presence in the U.S. (~26% of TTM acquisition-related pro forma revenue to March 31, 2026), which are both largely underpinned by long-term repeatable work programs through Master Service Agreements.
The Transaction is expected to provide immediate and long-term benefits to 91制片厂, including:
- Full Capture of 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 Growth in Target End-Markets 鈥 91制片厂 Utilities is positioned for opportunities tied to strong demand trends in electrical, communications, and energy infrastructure, supported by utility capital investment programs, data centre-driven demand dynamics, and connectivity requirements in Canada and the U.S.
- Integrated and Enhanced Operating Platform 鈥 Increasing procurement pipeline of major projects and programs that will benefit from a fully integrated delivery platform. The Transaction enables stronger alignment between 91制片厂 Utilities, 91制片厂鈥檚 other Construction sectors, and Concessions segment, while enhancing 91制片厂鈥檚 overall presence and exposure in target markets.
- Simplifies 91制片厂鈥檚 Capital Structure with Meaningful Financial Benefits 鈥 Elimination of the Preferred Shares of 91制片厂 Utilities from 91制片厂鈥檚 capital structure is expected to be accretive to 91制片厂鈥檚 adjusted earnings per share. The simplified ownership structure will allow 91制片厂 to optimize its financial capacity to support growth and invest in operations in a more efficient manner.
鈥淭his transaction accelerates 91制片厂鈥檚 overall growth in target markets, augments our self-perform offering with cross-selling opportunities, and enhances our ability to expand into growing regions with attractive project pipelines under a One 91制片厂 approach,鈥 said Jean-Louis Servranckx, President & Chief Executive Officer, 91制片厂.
鈥淲e were pleased to have partnered with an experienced and value-added investor in Oaktree to continue 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 growth in Canada and the U.S. and each have benefited greatly from the partnership,鈥 said Eric MacDonald, Executive Vice President, 91制片厂 Utilities.
Jimmy Lee, Managing Director and Assistant Portfolio Manager in Oaktree鈥檚 Power Opportunities Group, said 鈥91制片厂 Utilities鈥 strong competitive position, long-term customer relationships and exposure to numerous market tailwinds provided an exceptional foundation for growth. We were proud to bring our resources and relationships to support 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 talented leadership team and employees as they executed their strategic plan over the course of our investment.鈥
鈥91制片厂 Utilities is widely known as a leading provider of mission critical recurring utility infrastructure services with an unwavering commitment to workforce safety and exceptional quality. We were delighted to contribute our knowledge and expertise in its organic and acquisitive growth across Canada and in the U.S.,鈥 said Andrew Moir, Managing Director in Oaktree鈥檚 Power Opportunities Group.
Closing of the Transaction is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2026 and to be financed through 91制片厂鈥檚 existing cash resources and available credit facility capacity. The carrying value of the Preferred Shares of 91制片厂 Utilities at June 30, 2026 is expected to be equal to the purchase price, with the unrealized loss on derivative financial instrument reflected in Finance Costs.
Additional information regarding the terms of the Transaction will be included in a material change report available through 91制片厂鈥檚 profile via SEDAR+ at (). This press release is only a summary of certain principal terms of the Transaction and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the more detailed information contained in the material change report.
Advisors
CIBC Capital Markets is serving as financial advisor to 91制片厂 and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is serving as legal counsel. CIBC Capital Markets provided an opinion to the Board of Directors that, as of the date thereof and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications set forth therein, the consideration to be paid by the Company pursuant to the share purchase agreement to be entered into to effect the Transaction was fair, from a financial point of view, to the Company.
About 91制片厂
91制片厂 Group Inc. (TSX: ARE) is a North American construction and infrastructure development company with global experience. 91制片厂 delivers integrated solutions to private and public-sector clients through its Construction segment in the Civil, Urban Transportation, Nuclear, Utility and Industrial sectors, and provides project development, financing, investment, management, and operations and maintenance services through its Concessions segment. Join our online community on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram @91制片厂GroupInc.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
This press release presents certain non-GAAP financial measures, as well as non-GAAP ratios to assist readers in understanding the Company鈥檚 performance (GAAP refers to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles under IFRS). These measures do not have any standardized meaning and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Throughout this press release, the following terms are used, which do not have a standardized meaning under GAAP.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
A non-GAAP financial measure: (a) depicts the historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow of the Company; (b) with respect to its composition, excludes an amount that is included in, or includes an amount that is excluded from, the composition of the most comparable financial measure presented in the primary consolidated financial statements; (c) is not presented in the primary financial statements of the Company; and (d) is not a ratio.
Non-GAAP financial measures presented and discussed in this press release are as follows:
- 鈥淎djusted EBIDA鈥 represents operating profit (loss) adjusted to exclude depreciation and amortization, the gain (loss) on sale of assets and investments, costs related to business acquisitions including: costs related to advisory, legal, and other transaction fees; changes in the fair value of contingent consideration; and contingent consideration classified as compensation per IFRS Accounting Standards; costs associated with the remediation of properties sold; Enterprise Resource Planning (鈥淓RP鈥) implementation costs; and net income (loss) from projects accounted for using the equity method, but including 鈥淓quity Project EBITDA鈥 from projects accounted for using the equity method (Refer to Section 4 鈥淣on-GAAP and Supplementary Financial Measures鈥 and Section 9 鈥淨uarterly Financial Data鈥 in the March 31, 2026 MD&A for more information on each non-GAAP financial measure). The most directly comparable measure presented in the consolidated statements of income is operating profit.
- 鈥淎djusted profit (loss) attributable to shareholders鈥 represents profit (loss) attributable to shareholders adjusted where applicable to exclude unrealized gains or losses on derivative financial instruments, costs related to business acquisitions including: amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets; costs related to advisory, legal, and other transaction fees; changes in the fair value of contingent consideration; and contingent consideration classified as compensation per IFRS Accounting Standards; costs associated with the remediation of properties sold; ERP implementation costs; and where applicable the income tax effect of these adjustments. The most comparable IFRS Accounting Standards measure for Adjusted Profit (Loss) Attributable to Shareholders is Profit (Loss) Attributable to 91制片厂 Shareholders.
Management uses the above non-GAAP financial measure to analyze and evaluate operating performance. 91制片厂 also believes the above financial measure is commonly used by the investment community for valuation purposes, is a useful complementary measure of profitability, and provides a metric useful in the construction industry. The most directly comparable measures calculated in accordance with GAAP are operating profit and profit (loss) attributable to shareholders.
Non-GAAP Ratios
A non-GAAP ratio is a financial measure presented in the form of a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar representation and that has a non-GAAP financial measure as one of its components and is not disclosed in the financial statements of the Company.
A non-GAAP ratio presented and discussed in this press release is as follows:
- 鈥淎djusted earnings per share鈥 is calculated by dividing Adjusted Profit (Loss) Attributable to Shareholders by the basic weighted average number of shares outstanding. 鈥淎djusted profit (loss) attributable to shareholders鈥 represents profit (loss) attributable to shareholders adjusted where applicable to exclude unrealized gains or losses on derivative financial instruments, costs related to business acquisitions including: amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets; costs related to advisory, legal, and other transaction fees; changes in the fair value of contingent consideration; and contingent consideration classified as compensation per IFRS Accounting Standards; costs associated with the remediation of properties sold; ERP implementation costs; and where applicable the income tax effect of these adjustments. The most comparable IFRS Accounting Standards measure for Adjusted Profit (Loss) Attributable to Shareholders is Profit (Loss) Attributable to 91制片厂 Shareholders. 鈥淥perating profit (loss)鈥 represents the profit (loss) from operations, before finance income, finance cost, income tax expense (recovery) and non-controlling interests as presented on the face of the Company鈥檚 consolidated statements of income and is not meant to be a substitute for other subtotals or totals presented in accordance with IFRS, but rather should be evaluated in conjunction with such IFRS measures.
Management uses the above non-GAAP financial measure to analyze and evaluate operating performance. 91制片厂 also believes the above financial measure is commonly used by the investment community for valuation purposes, is a useful complementary measure of profitability, and provides a metric useful in the construction industry. The most directly comparable measures calculated in accordance with GAAP are operating profit and profit (loss) attributable to shareholders.
Acquisition Related Pro Forma Financial Information
This press release also presents certain acquisition related pro forma financial information to assist readers in understanding the Transaction. These measures do not have any standardized meaning and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
On January 6, 2026, 91制片厂 Utilities completed the acquisition of K.P.C. Power Electrical Ltd. and K.P.C. Energy Metering Solutions Ltd. (collectively 鈥淜PC鈥), headquartered in Ontario, and on March 9, 2026, 91制片厂 Utilities completed the acquisition of Duna Services, LLC (鈥淒una鈥), headquartered in Indiana, and its subsidiaries Arc American, LLC and C.A. Advanced, LLC, and a 49% interest in KNX Utility Services, LLC (鈥淜NX鈥) from Ryker Holdings Inc. These acquisitions were accounted for as a business combination in accordance with IFRS 3 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (鈥淚FRS Accounting Standards鈥).
To assist investors in evaluating the impact of these acquisitions on the Company鈥檚 operating performance, the Company has presented acquisition-related pro forma revenue and Adjusted EBITDA for the twelve months ended March 31, 2026, as if the acquisitions of KPC and Duna had both occurred on April 1, 2025, and enterprise value as a multiple of 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 TTM acquisition-related pro forma Adjusted EBITDA(2) to March 31, 2026. The pro forma financial information was prepared by combining the historical results of 91制片厂 Utilities with the historical results of KPC and Duna.
Enterprise value as a multiple of pro forma Adjusted EBITDA represents the enterprise value of 91制片厂 Utilities using the implied equity value of the Transaction after adjusting for debt in 91制片厂 Utilities as a percentage of TTM acquisition-related pro forma Adjusted EBITDA to March 31, 2026.
The following tables summarize 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 reported and acquisition-related pro forma financial information for the TTM period ended March 31, 2026 and enterprise value as a multiple of pro forma Adjusted EBITDA at March 31, 2026:
| ($ millions) | | Trailing twelve-months to March 31, 2026 |
|---|
| | | |
| 91制片厂 Utilities Revenue (as reported) | | 1,069 |
| Pro forma impact on revenue of KPC and Duna (pre-acquisition) | | 168 |
| Acquisition鈥Related Pro Forma Revenue(4) | 1,237 |
| | | |
| 91制片厂 Utilities Adjusted EBITDA (as reported)(1) | 105 |
| Pro forma impact on Adjusted EBITDA of KPC and Duna (pre-acquisition) | 11 |
| Acquisition鈥Related Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA(2) | 116 |
| | | |
| Implied Equity Value of 91制片厂 Utilities | | 1,164 |
| Net Debt in 91制片厂 Utilities at March 31, 2026 | | 347 |
| Implied Enterprise Value of 91制片厂 Utilities | | 1,511 |
| Acquisition鈥慠elated Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA | | 116 |
| Enterprise Value Multiple to 91制片厂 Utilities鈥 TTM acquisition-related pro forma Adjusted EBITDA(3) to March 31, 2026 | 13x |
| | | |
Notes:
(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure.
(2) Acquisition鈥憆elated pro forma adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure.
(3) Enterprise value as a multiple of pro forma Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP ratio.
(4) Acquisition鈥憆elated pro forma revenue is a non-GAAP measure.
The pro forma financial information presented above is non鈥慓AAP financial information and is based on certain assumptions and estimates that management believes are reasonable in the circumstances. The pro forma results are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not purport to represent what the Company鈥檚 actual results of operations would have been had the acquisition occurred on April 1, 2025, nor are they necessarily indicative of future results.
Acquisition-related pro forma Adjusted EBITDA is derived from Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non鈥慓AAP financial measure (as defined above). Management believes that the presentation of pro forma revenue and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors regarding the scale, earnings profile, and potential financial impact of the acquisition as if it had been completed at the beginning of the period and assists in period-over-period comparability.
Statement on Forward-Looking Information
The information in this press release includes certain forward-looking statements which may constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available competitive, financial, and economic data and operating plans but are subject to known and unknown risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, the payment of dividends, the repurchase of shares, performance, prospects, ongoing objectives, strategies and outlook for 91制片厂, including statements regarding: the closing of the Transaction and the expected timing thereof; the funding of the purchase price; the anticipated benefits of the Transaction described herein; expectations regarding 91制片厂鈥檚 adjusted earnings per share; the uncertainties related to the unpredictability of global economic conditions; expectations regarding operational and financial performance; expectations regarding the pipeline of opportunities tied to power generation, critical resource development, mass transit infrastructure, water, and defence available to 91制片厂; and expectations regarding growth, and the acceleration thereof, of 91制片厂 in Canada and the U.S. Forward-looking statements may in some cases be identified by words such as 鈥渨ill,鈥 鈥減lans,鈥 鈥渟chedule,鈥 鈥渇orecast,鈥 鈥渙utlook,鈥 鈥渃ompleting,鈥 鈥渕itigating,鈥 鈥減otential,鈥 鈥減ossible,鈥 鈥渕aintain,鈥 鈥渟eek,鈥 鈥渃ost savings,鈥 鈥渟ynergies,鈥 鈥渟trategy,鈥 鈥済oal,鈥 鈥渋ndicative,鈥 鈥渕ay,鈥 鈥渃ould,鈥 鈥渕ight,鈥 鈥渃an,鈥 鈥渂elieves,鈥 鈥渆xpects,鈥 鈥渁nticipates,鈥 鈥渁ims,鈥 鈥渁ssumes,鈥 鈥渦pon,鈥 鈥渃ommences,鈥 鈥渆stimates,鈥 鈥減rojects,鈥 鈥渋ntends,鈥 鈥減rospects,鈥 鈥渢argets,鈥 鈥渙ccur,鈥 鈥渃ontinue,鈥 鈥渟hould鈥 or the negative of these terms, or similar expressions. In addition to events beyond 91制片厂鈥檚 control, there are factors which could cause actual or future results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or inferred herein including, but not limited to: the risk of not being able to close the Transaction, the risk of not being able to realize the expected benefits and opportunities resulting from the Transaction; the risk of not being able to meet contractual schedules and other performance requirements on large, fixed priced contracts; the risks associated with a third party鈥檚 failure to perform; the risk of not being able to execute its strategy of building strong partnerships and alliances; the risk of not being able to identify and capitalize on strategic operational investments; the risks associated with the seasonal nature of its business; the risks associated with changing levels of demand for 91制片厂鈥檚 services; the risks associated with being able to participate in large projects; risks associated with future pandemics, epidemics and other health crises and 91制片厂鈥檚 ability to respond to and implement measures to mitigate the impact of such pandemics or epidemics; the risk of the anticipated benefits and synergies from strategic acquisition transactions not being fully realized or taking longer than expected to realize; the risk of being unable to retain key personnel; the risk of being unable to maintain relationships with customers, suppliers or other business partners; and various other risk factors described in 91制片厂鈥檚 filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which are available under 91制片厂鈥檚 profile on SEDAR+ (), including the risk factors described in Section 13 - 鈥淩isk Factors鈥 in the 2026 annual Management鈥檚 Discussion and Analysis (鈥淢D&A鈥) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 and in 91制片厂鈥檚 MD&A for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2026, and in other filings made by 91制片厂 with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada.
Forward-looking statements are presented for the purpose of helping investors and others in understanding certain key elements of 91制片厂鈥檚 current objectives, strategic priorities, expectations and plans, and to gather a better understanding of 91制片厂鈥檚 business and operating environment. These forward-looking statements are based on a variety of factors and assumptions including, but not limited to that: none of the risks identified above materialize, there are no unforeseen changes to economic and market conditions and no significant events occur outside the ordinary course of business and assumptions regarding the outcome of the outstanding claims in respect of the fixed price legacy projects being performed by joint ventures in which 91制片厂 is a participant. These assumptions are based on information currently available to 91制片厂, including information obtained from third-party sources. While the Company believes that such third-party sources are reliable sources of information, the Company has not independently verified the information. The Company has not ascertained the validity or accuracy of the underlying economic assumptions contained in such information from third-party sources and hereby disclaims any responsibility or liability whatsoever in respect of any information obtained from third-party sources.
Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and 91制片厂 undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Adam Borgatti
SVP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations
416-297-2600
ir@aecon.com
Nicole Court
Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications
416-297-2600
corpaffairs@aecon.com