New York, March 3, 2026, 07:18 ET — Premarket.
- AES shares hovered around $14.2 ahead of the open, following a steep drop the previous session.
- BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT are backing a $15-a-share cash buyout to bring AES private.
- Investors eye the regulatory track, keep tabs on the proxy steps, and look to see if the stock’s discount tightens at the open.
AES Corp stayed near $14.21 in early U.S. trading Tuesday, following an 18% plunge the prior session as word broke of a $15-per-share buyout to take the company private.
Right now, it’s all about the gap. When a stock lags behind the offer price, that’s a fast clue—timing risk and investor conviction both show up right there, depending on whether the necessary approvals and red tape will go smoothly.
The buyout comes as power assets are once more caught up in the AI narrative. It’s the latest in a string of big deals linked to surging data-center energy needs. Evercore ISI’s Nicholas Amicucci pointed out the consortium behind AES brings “improved access to capital” and relaxes the leverage targets that public shareholders have insisted on. Reuters
AES has struck a deal to sell itself for $15.00 per share in cash to a consortium featuring Global Infrastructure Partners—now part of BlackRock—and EQT Infrastructure VI, joined by CalPERS and the Qatar Investment Authority. The company put the equity value at $10.7 billion and pegged enterprise value, which factors in debt, around $33.4 billion. AES said this price marks a 40.3% premium over the 30-day volume-weighted average before takeover chatter began in early July.
Traders betting on takeover rumors didn’t get the payday they hoped for. AES tumbled 17.77% to finish Monday at $14.21, with a surge in volume—roughly 76.4 million shares changed hands.
AES, in its SEC filing, noted the merger still requires shareholder sign-off and a raft of regulatory green lights: the Public Utility Commission of Ohio, New York Public Service Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust review all make the list. They’ve set June 1, 2027 as the outside date for the agreement. Termination fees could hit roughly $588 million for the buyer group under certain scenarios; AES might face a $321 million obligation if specific conditions play out. The same document disclosed the board tapped Ricardo Falú as president, starting March 2, and named Juan Ignacio Rubiolo chief operating officer. Andres Gluski stays on as CEO.
AES dialed down its public presence, scrapping a conference call slated for 10:00 a.m. ET Tuesday that was set to cover fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results. The company said it anticipates submitting its 2025 annual report on Form 10-K by Monday.
Credit investors took note. Fitch affirmed AES ratings following the proposed acquisition, keeping the outlook stable. S&P Global Ratings also maintained its stable outlook and affirmed AES ratings after the take-private deal was announced.
The long calendar can be a double-edged sword. Push the closing out further, and you open the door to more delays, courtroom drama, and probing from regulators. That also gives AES’ stock room to move on its own fundamentals, rather than simply drifting toward $15.
As the clock hits 9:30 a.m. ET and regular trading opens, traders will be zeroed in on whether the discount narrows toward the offer price. According to AES, dividends should continue as usual ahead of the close—pending board sign-off. Once the deal wraps up, shares would come off the NYSE.
