Starwood to merge with Marriott under revised deal

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced Monday that it has signed an amendment merger deal of approximately 13.6 billion U.S. dollars with Marriott International Inc. to create the world's largest hotel company.

Under the agreement, Starwood shareholders will receive 21 U.S. dollars in cash and 0.80 shares of Marriott stock for each Starwood share.

Excluding its timeshare business, Starwood is valued by the deal approximately 13.6 billion dollars, or 79.53 dollars per share, capping the 13.2-billion-dollar bid from Chinese investor group Anbang.

Shares of Starwood rose nearly 4 percent in early trading on Monday to 83.75 dollars while shares of Marriott edged down 0.64 percent to 72.68 dollars.

Starwood shareholders will own approximately 34 percent of the combined company's common stock after the merger, based on current shares outstanding.

"We are pleased that Marriott has recognized the value that Starwood brings to this merger and enhanced the consideration being paid to Starwood shareholders," said Bruce Duncan, chairman of the Starwood Board of Directors.

Marriott expects the transaction to have little effect on its earnings in 2017 and 2018.

One-time transaction costs for the merger are expected to be about 100 million to 130 million dollars. Transition costs are also expected to be incurred over the next two years.

The deal trumped last week's boosted bid from China's Anbang Insurance Group Co., which did not comment on the deal.

Anbang has made headlines with the acquisition for Waldorf Astoria, a landmark hotel on Park Avenue in the Big Apple in October 2014. Endi