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SciPlay (NASDAQ:SCPL) rose 5.7% in after hours trading as activist investor Engine Capital, one of the biggest holders of mobile-game maker SciPlay (SCPL), urged the company to consider a sale of itself to parent company Light & Wonder (NASDAQ:LNW). The activist wants LNW to buy the 19% of SciPlay is doen’t currently own.
Engine Capital, which has a 5.7% in SciPlay, wants the company to consider selling itself to to Light & Wonder (LNW) for $15 to $16/share, according to a letter Engine Capital wrote to the board’s of both companies on Monday. Engine Capital also has a stake in Light & Wonder (LNW).
The Engine Capital letter comes after the activist first disclosed a stake in a 13D filing March. In April, SciPlay (SCPL) added Nick Earl, the former CEO of Glu Mobile to its board and in June added three more directors.
Engine Capital argued in the letter that the current structure of SciPlay (SCPL) is “inefficient and creates an overhang” on the valuation of both companies. The activist also said it believes Light & Wonder (LNW) also trades at a significant discount to its intrinsic value, partially due to the “drag of SciPlay’s undervaluation.” Engine Capital said the recommended purchase of SciPlay for $15-$16 would be immediately accretive to Light & Wonder .
“That said, if a deal can’t be reached between both Companies or if Light & Wonder is no longer interested to acquire SciPlay, we don’t believe the status quo is desirable and we would then encourage SciPlay to start a review of its strategic alternatives and look for a buyer with the blessing of Light & Wonder,” Engine Capital Managing Partner Arnaud Ajdler and Partner Brad Favreau wrote in the letter.
The Engine Capital proposal comes after SciPlay (SCPL) in late December terminated talks with Scientific Games, now called Light & Wonder, for the company to acquire the remaining 19% of SciPlay it didn’t own in a stock deal.
