Showing category "Mergers and Acquisitions" (Show all posts)

Belgian Icecream Group (BIG) is for sale

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Belgian holding company NPM/CNP Compagnie Nationale à Portefeuille is reportedly planning to sell its wholly-owned company Belgian Icecream Group (BIG). BIG is Belgium's biggest ice cream producer and reported a turnover of 88 million euro in 2008. BIG employs about 500 people. Banca Leonardo, has been appointed to handle the transaction, according to the Belgian press.  The company has 3 production sites in Belgium (Tielen, Chênée and Kuurne) and 7 depots all over the country

Belgian da...


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Nestle buys Mivina of Ukraine

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, March 5, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Nestle has bought OOO Technocom, Ukraine's biggest producer of convenience foods and condiments, and owner of the Mivina brand.

The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed but, according to Nestle, the acquisition of will strengthen the company's presence in one of the fastest-growing segments of the Ukrainian food market.Technocom will allow Nestle to expand its convenience portfolio at the value end of the market, Nestle also intends to actively promote products under the Mi...


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PepsiCo receives greenlight for merger with PepsiAmericas

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, February 26, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

PepsiCo today announced that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has granted early termination of the waiting period for its previously announced plan of merger with PepsiAmericas.

Several members of the company's leadership team will be leaving their posts shortly after the closing of the company's merger with PepsiCo. The officers who have signaled their intent to leave include Alexander H. Ware, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Anne D. Sample, executive vice president o...


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Diamond buys Kettle, the snack maker...

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, February 26, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
US snack firm Diamond Foods acquires snack maker Kettle Foods from private-equity firm Lion Capital for USD 615m.

Diamond makes a range of nuts products, Kettle manufactures potato chips and crisp snacks and has operations in both the US and the UK.

Chairman, president and CEO of Diamond, Michael Mendes said Kettle is a "strong, strategic fit" to their business."We believe Kettle Foods is a strong fit with the capability to provide solid financial returns for our shareholders, and we plan t...


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PureCircle and Imperial Sugar formed a JV for stevia & sugar combinations

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, February 25, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Pure Circle and Imperial Sugar have  made a joint venture to offer sugar and stevia combinations to food and beverages industries. PureCircle manufactures a natural, high intensity Reb A sweetener derived from the leaves of the stevia plant. It has been positioning the sweetener as a possible complement to sugar for some time, to take advantage of both products’ natural status, meaning that unlike many other sweeteners that could be used to reduce sugar, manufacturers could continue to use ...


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Kraft Cadbury Deal is over Cadbury top brass confirm exit

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
The long story  between Kraft and Cadbury has ended with a victory of Kraft. The shareholders of Cadbury have approved the acquision offer made by Kraft with a 70% majority. Todd Stitzer is stepping down as chief executive of Cadbury in the wake of shaqreholders' vote  to accept Kraft Foods’ takeover bid. Joining him on the way out will be chairman Roger Carr and chief financial officer Andrew Bonfield. Their departure dates have yet to be set.While Stitzer and Carr were certain to leave fo...
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Kraft has reduced the acceptance treshhold for takeover

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Kraft Foods said today that it has reduced the number of acceptances required to fulfil the conditions of its takeover offer for Cadbury  to 50% plus one shares, from 90%. Cadbury shareholders have until Feb. 2 to accept Kraft's improved offer for the firm.
Source: Market Watch
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Efforts in UK to keep Cadbury's British Identity

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, January 26, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Recently a group of initiators have build up a web site www.savecadbury.com  targeting to  prepare a petition for keeping Cadbury's British identity. The web site explains its aim as follows:

"We aim to have one million names on our petition to stop the takeover of a Great British Institution by a faceless American corporation before it’s too late. Do your bit for Queen and Country by adding your name to the petition below. Simply add a comment with your name and town to electronically sign....
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Ferrero Officially Bows Out on Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, January 26, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Ferrero has ruled out a rival bid for Cadbury, clearing the way for Kraft Foods to complete its £11.7 billion ($18.9 billion) proposed takeover of the British confectioner, Reuters reported.

Fellow chocolate maker Hershey said on Friday it had no intention of bidding for Cadbury, so with Nestlé already ruled out, Kraft appears on course to complete its recommended bid by the deadline of Feb. 2.

“Further to its announcement of Nov. 18, 2009, Ferrero International SA confirms that it doe...


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Arla joint-ventures with Starbucks

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, January 22, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Danish dairy group  Arla Foods is to enter the ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee category as part of a joint venture with Starbucks.The companies announced that Arla will manufacture, distribute and market Starbucks-branded premium RTD coffee beverages in Europe.

Arla CEO Peder Tuborgh.said ”Starbucks is a super brand around the world, based on strong values and high quality products and we are very pleased about the fact that Starbucks and Arla will work together in the European RTD cold coffee b...

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Hershey will not launch a counter bid

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, January 22, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
U.S. chocolate maker Hershey Co has decided not to launch a counterbid for British confectioner Cadbury Plc following a unanimous vote by its board late on Wednesday, the Financial Times said, citing a person briefed on the matter.

Source: Financial Times

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Where the "synergy" lies in Kraft Cadbury deal?

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
In the conference call, Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld had with Wall Street analysts, she mentiones several major synergy points of this  tie-up. 

These will be the preliminery  outcomes of this  acquisition, aside from financial and/or tax benefits, feel free to comment on them or add more if you like:

- Cadbury has more "instant consumption" channels like gas stations, cornershops which are well penetrated by Cadbury products in many countries ( also in Turkey where I live) wheras Kraft  is more c...
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Almost Happy End!

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Kraft has reached a tentative deal for a friendly takeover of Cadbury, agreeing in principle to pay about $19 billion in cash and stock for the confectioner, people briefed on the matter said on Monday. If realized, the deal would create a global food giant that would unite Kraft with Cadbury . Together, the two companies would have more than $50 billion in revenue and a big presence in markets globally.Most recently Mars buying the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 2008 for $23 billion became the b...


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Kraft may raise its bid today!

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, January 18, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

It is expected that today (monday) Kraft may raise its initial value of hostile bid for Cadbury above 800p. Today is a holiday in US and stock markets are closed. Despite  supportive announcements of several British investors to Cadbury management, those US investors of Cadbury which hold at least 40% of the shares may be willing to exchange their shares with Kraft when the offer is around 820p or over.

On the other hand, the rumors that Hershey is preparing to make a bid, gets stronger. We ma...


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While Ferrero steps back, Hershey steps in!!

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, January 14, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Some people who  have internal access claim that Hershey is preparing a counter-bid to Kraft hostile offer for Cadbury.  They say that Hershey  can make a formal offer before the January 23 deadline, .

Such a Hershey bid would certainly be welcomed by Cadbury. Although Cadbury has not solicited a “white knight” bid from Hershey publicly, the confectioner has made clear that it would prefer Hershey to Kraft.

Roger Carr, the UK company’s chairman, has told the Financial Times that Her...


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Does Ferrero step back?

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, January 13, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Ferrero, the Italian chocolate maker, was on Tuesday night debating abandoning a pursuit of Cadbury. It is said the Ferrero family, which controls the group, was close to dropping out of the Cadbury battle following a decision by Michele Ferrero, the group’s chairman. Mr Ferrero was understood to be against the move because it involved too much debt for a company that has traditionally not made acquisitions. On the other hand there are rumors that there is no consensus in the family on th...


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Cadbury Defends Formally against Kraft Bid

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Cadbury showcased robust 2009 results and an upbeat outlook on Tuesday in its last move to rebuff U.S. food giant Kraft Foods' 10.5 billion pound ($17 billion) hostile takeover bid.

In a final defense document, the British confectioner said Kraft's "derisory" offer valued Cadbury lower than any comparable deal in the sector and that its standalone value had risen since the Kraft bid emerged last September.

"Our performance in 2009 was outstanding. We generated good revenue growth despite th...


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Keep an eye on Hershey!

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, January 7, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Today Reuters reports that there are rumors that Cadbury Board members are in touch with their counterparts in Hershey for seeking a "merger partner" against their "hostile bidder"...Those who remember my previous comments know that my expectation from this battle is a Hershey involvement. A source says: "As they go through this process, they feel as though they (Cadbury) want to have a management say in the organization and I think that they perceive that one of the suitors is better than th...
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EU Comission gives a conditional approval for Kraft bid

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, January 7, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
The European Commission said on Wednesday it had given conditional approval for U.S. food group Kraft Foods Inc  to take over British confectionery maker Cadbury. The European Union executive said in a written statement the hostile bid was conditional on Kraft's divestment of Cadbury's Polish and Romanian chocolate confectionery businesses.

The combination of Kraft and Cadbury would create the world's largest sweets, chewing-gum and chocolate group, overtaking Mars-Wrigley.

The Commission t...


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The last card in the game: Buffett hits Kraft on Cadbury (Does he?)

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, January 6, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Wall Street Journal reported that investor Warren Buffett waded into the battle for Cadbury PLC, issuing a rebuke of Kraft Foods Inc.'s just-sweetened, nearly $17 billion takeover offer for the British confectionary company. As Kraft's largest shareholder—with a 9.4% stake—Mr. Buffett's holding company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said it wouldn't support the issuance of new shares to pay for a Cadbury deal. "To state the matter simply, a shareholder voting 'yes' today is authorizing a huge ...


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Kraft renews Cadbury offer after selling pizza business

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, January 5, 2010, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Kraft Foods has this morning (5 January) revealed plans to offer more cash to the shareholders of Cadbury. This happends after Kraft agreed to sell its North American frozen pizza business to Nestle. In this new offer Cadbury investors will have the chance to receive a "partial cash alternative".  Meanwhile, in the wake of the pizza sale, Nestle, which had been also shown as a possible bidder for Cadbury, issued a statement to announce that "does not intend to make, or participate in, a for...


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Heinz acquired remaining shares in Cario Food - Egypt

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
US food company HJ Heinz has acquired  the remaining 49% of Egyptian condiments and sauces maker Cairo Food Industries which was its joint venture partner. Commenting on the deal, Heinz senior vice president Michael Milone said that it also furthered Heinz' global strategy to focus its product portfolio on core categories. “The acquisition of the remaining 49% shares of Cairo Food Industries fits perfectly into Heinz’s global strategy to focus its portfolio on three attractive core catego...
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Lactalis acquires Efremovski in Russia

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
French Dairy Company Lactalis has confirmed that it is in negotiations over the acquisition of Russia’s Efremovski combine, located in the Toula region.Lactalis already operates its own plant in Russia, where it produces processed cheese. Efremovski would be the French group’s first acquisition in Russia and will allow it to enter the hard cheese segment, representing around 65% of the country’s cheese market.
 
It is expected that a deal could be reached by mid-January.

Source: just-food...

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British and Irish workers at Cadbury campaign to resist Kraft’s hostile bid

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, December 18, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Cadbury workers – as well as some politicians – fear that a foreign takeover could lead to local job losses and pay cuts in the UK and Ireland. Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of Cadbury’s trade union Unite, said in a statement: "Cadbury is a great UK success story – and it was and is not for sale. But suddenly, a hostile bid and swarming speculators has thrown its future, its investment plans and the jobs of thousands of workers here and in Ireland up in the air.” The ...
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Kraft received clearance from US Competition Board

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Kraft Foods said yesterday (15 December) that it had received clearance from US competition authorities to proceed with its proposed acquisition of UK confectioner Cadbury.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Kraft revealed: “The US competition condition to the offer is now satisfied.” According to a spokesperson for the company, Kraft now only requires regulatory clearance in the EU. Last week, the European Commission has exteded the deadfline for reviewing the proposals until...


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Bitter War of Words between Kraft and Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Cadbury yesterday (15 December) attacked predator Kraft Foods after the US food giant claimed Cadbury was opening its shareholders to "significant risk". Kraft, issued a statement and questioned the defense of Cadbury as an independent company which was centered on  move to raise its sales, margins and dividend targets.Kraft questioned how the company could meet the loftier goals and insisted its bid would give better value to Cadbury investors.

"Kraft seem to have run out of ideas," a Cadbu...


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We don't need a white knight to save us from Kraft, says Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, December 14, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 



The comments by Roger Carr, Cadbury's chairman, came in a formal defence document issued to its shareholders today designed to thwart a £9.8bn hostile bid from Kraft.

Alongside the verbal rebuttal, Cadbury also laid out a series of targets for the next four years which it hopes will be enough to persuade shareholders to knock back Kraft's existing offer. They are:


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Review of Kraft bid by European Regulators pushed back...

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, December 11, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

European regulators have pushed back the deadline for their review of Kraft’s $16.1bn bid for Cadbury after the American company offered concessions, they said on Wednesday.

The European Commission has extended the deadline by ten working days from December 14 to January 6, its daily list of mergers and takeovers under review showed. This is in order to review concessions put forward by Kraft to help ease anti-competition concerns, although European regulators did not give further det...


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Hershey and Nestlé in contact for a joint bid!

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
This news supports my comments few weeks ago that in Cadbury deal we should keep an eye on Hershey-Nestlé coalition....I  still beleive there are good reasons and mutual benefits for them in such a joint take-over action. Most probably Cadbury will support any non-Kraft offer which is somehow higher than original Kraft bid.

US chocolate giant Hershey has been in contact with Nestle over a possible joint bid for Cadbury, according to reports.

An offer between the two could challenge the hos...


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Potential Partnership between Ocado and Carrefour

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, December 7, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Ocado, the online grocer, and French retail giant Carrefour have remained silent on speculation that the pair are engaged in talks over a potential partnership.

According to UK reports, executives from the two groups have met to discuss Ocado providing its software to facilitate the delivery of Carrefour products in France, beginning in Paris. The joint venture has the potential to boost Carrefour's online sales in its domestic market.

A spokesperson for the French group declined to com...


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Kraft started the official process on Cadbury Deal

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Sunday, December 6, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

LONDON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Kraft Foods  made its formal $16.1 billion offer to Cadbury shareholders, triggering a two-month takeover fight for the chocolate maker and a frosty response from Britain.

UK business secretary Peter Mandelson warned the U.S. food giant it would face a backlash if it tried to buy Cadbury on the cheap. "If you think that you can come here and make a fast buck you will find that you face huge opposition from the local population ... and from the British government,...


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United Biscuits plans to enter India

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, December 3, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

UK biscuit manufacturer United Biscuits is preparing to enter India, where the group plans to manufacture and market biscuits for Asia's third-largest economy. "Having identified India as a market with great potential, UB plans to manufacture and market biscuits directly in the country for the Indian market,” a spokesperson for the UB told. The spokesperson added that the group is still conducting “trials and market assessment” but UB does plan to set up new manufacturing facilities in ...


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Hershey lines up $7bn from US banks to challenge Kraft bid for Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

American banks JP Morgan and Bank of America are ready to lend Hershey more than $7bn (£4bn) to help it bankroll a bid for Cadbury that would challenge an offer for the UK chocolate maker from Kraft Foods.

City sources say Hershey is ready to offer $17bn, trumping Kraft's $16.2bn bid, which has fallen in value because the shares component has been hit by a fall in its stock price.

Hershey, which is smaller than Cadbury and already has debts of around $1.5bn, would help to fund a bid by m...


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Nestle India confirms interest in Speciality Foods unit

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Nestle India has confirmed that it is mulling a proposal that would see the company take ownership of the healthcare and nutrition business of Speciality Foods. In a note to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Indian unit of the Swiss food giant said that its board was meeting on 7 December to consider a possible deal.

Speciality Foods' healthcare nutrition business includes such brands as Resource, Optifast and Spert.

Source: just-food.com


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Analyst Claims Kraft remains the favourite to buy Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Kraft Foods remains the favourite to buy Cadbury, a leading industry analyst claimed  even if US chocolate maker Hershey tables a bid for the Dairy Milk maker.

Andrew Wood, senior research analyst covering European food companies at Sanford Bernstein, said Kraft was still the front-runner to buy Cadbury. Wood suggested, however, that a "likely" bid from Hershey - either on its own or alongside Ferrero or Nestle - would mean an acquisition of Cadbury would not be the "steal" that Kraft had ho...


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What Landing Cadbury Would Mean for Kraft, Ferrero, Hershey

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 30, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Cadbury is the chess piece that could determine who leads the world's confectionery market, depending on whose hands the company ends up in.

If it lands in the portfolio of Kraft, that marketer would topple Mars from its perch as the globe's leading confectioner, a status Mars assumed after winning control of Wrigley last year. But now, Ferrero has confirmed an interest in acquiring Cadbury, and The Wall Street Journal reported that it is considering a linkup with Her...


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How can Hershey enter in the Cadbury deal?

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, November 24, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Hershey's controlling Trust has belatedly accepted that, without doing a deal, the chocolate company faces slow decline. That removes one obstacle to Hershey challenging Kraft in the battle for Cadbury.

Hershey will struggle to acquire a company twice its size. Given limited geographical overlap, moreover, synergies would probably be less than Kraft’s targeted $625m a year. A mooted $17bn offer, including $10bn cash, would leave combined Hershey- Cadbury with debt of five times earnings be...


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Cadbury bid gets hot! My evaluation:

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 23, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
In last couple of days news about Cadbury- Kraft deal comes one after the other. So when we start a new week we have  practically three options analysts talking about:

  • Kraft
  • Hershey and Ferero coalition
  • Nestlé may bid as well


But when all the rumors and analysis read carefully, what I see as the most interesting option would be a Hershey bid backed by Nestlé. Nestlé definetely will not like to see a "Kraftbury" threat to its chocolate market, but it cannot make a direct bid to Cadb...


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Cargill, Callebaut await customer-fuelled M&A

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 23, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

20 November 2009 Source: just-food.com

Chocolate processing giants Cargill and Barry Callebaut have suggested that any consolidation between the sector's leading brand-owners could lead to more M&A activity among the industry's suppliers.

The speculation over Cadbury's future has prompted some of the world's largest business-to-business chocolate makers to ponder future changes to the competitive landscape of their part of the supply chain.

Speaking to just-food, Cargill Chocolate managing...


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Kraft weighs higher Cadbury bid as rivals circle

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 23, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Kraft Foods Inc may raise its offer for British chocolatier Cadbury Plc  or offer more cash in its bid if rival takeover offers emerge, a source familiar with the situation said on Sunday.

Kraft took a $16.8 billion hostile offer for Cadbury to shareholders two weeks ago. Most of the remaining large players in the global confectionery industry -- U.S.-based Hershey Co, Italy's Ferrero and Switzerland's Nestle  -- are now weighing takeover bids themselves, according...


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Nestle Said to Mull Cadbury Options, Kraft Challenge

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 23, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
 
Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Nestlé SA is weighing options including a possible bid for Cadbury Plc that would challenge Kraft Foods Inc.’s offer and a potential move by Hershey Co., according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Nestle is reviewing its options with bankers and may decide against a bid, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Hershey and Ferrero SpA said in statements last week that they were also evaluating options. Ferrero, the ...


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Ferrero could eye Cadbury gum, candy unit

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Friday, November 20, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
MILAN (Reuters) - Italian chocolate maker Ferrero could be interested in Cadbury's gum and candy division, a unit worth about 5 billion euros ($7.4 billion), in a possible joint takeover bid, business daily Il Sole 24 Ore said on Friday.

Unlisted Ferrero and U.S.-based Hershey Co are considering a joint offer for the British confectioner, which is the target of a hostile bid from Kraft Foods Inc. A Hershey-Ferrero takeover would have the goal of breaking up Cadbury, with Ferrero ending up ...


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UPDATE:Hershey, Ferrero confirm Cadbury bid interest

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, November 19, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Source: just-food.com

US chocolate giant Hershey and Italian chocolatier Ferrero have confirmed their interest in buying UK confectioner Cadbury. In seperate statements to the London Stock Exchange the two companies confirmed that they are each mulling a possible bid.

The news follows reports that the pair were in preliminary talks for a joint bid to counter the GBP9.8bn (US$16.45bn) hostile offer already on the table from US food giant Kraft Foods. Neither company made mention of the other...


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Do Hershey and Ferrero really talk for a joint bid to Cadbury?

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Hershey Co., the chocolatier from US and Ferrero SpA, the Italian chocolate manufacturer are said to be considering a joint bid for Cadbury which is the target of a hostile bid from Kraft according to a recent Reuters news..

Inside sources  say there is no direct contact yet, but Cadbury may  welcome such a joint offer. However nome equity analysts claim that neither Hershey nor Ferrero is financially strong enough for such a bid and this is unlikely.

My interpretation of such news is that  som...


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Uniq divests Dutch business

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

UK convenience group Uniq has sold its Dutch businesses to Gilde Equity Management for an enterprise value of GBP18m (US$26.8m). The divestment furthers Uniq's goal to become a UK-focused business. The company previously sold its other continental operations in France, Germany and Poland. The deal is subject to shareholder, works council and competition approvals.

Proceeds from the sale, which will total approximately GBP2m after costs, will be used to reduce debt, address the group's pensio...


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Ferrero Cadbury Alliance?

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported in 17 November issue that family-owned Ferrero might be considering an offer with friendly investors for an alliance with UK confectioner Cadbury, the subject of a hostile bid from Kraft.

It is understood that the Italian chocolate maker has been approached by Mediobanca SpA about the partnership, the publication said.

Pietro Ferrero and his brother Giovanni, both chief executive officers, are said to both see a merger as an “opportunity”.

Ferrero ...


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Lindt seen as possible target for Nestlé in 2010

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Lindt & Sprungli, the upmarket Swiss chocolate maker, is the sector’s “obvious” takeover target and could be snapped up next year, one analyst has claimed - with Nestle seen as the favourite to buy the business. Jon Cox, an analyst at Kepler Capital Markets in Zurich,  cut his estimate for Lindt’s share price in 2010, citing the pressure rising cocoa costs will put on margins. In August, Lindt reported a slump in half-year profits and Cox argued that the company could issue a profit w...


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More Kraft Cadbury Deal news

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 16, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
I know everybody has got tired of Kraft's attempt to acquire Cadbury but this deal continues to be the most important development in food industry in recent months...So I keep informing you if any new and interesting bits of information is around:

The European Commission has set a one-month deadline to rule on the possible hostile takeover of Cadbury by US food giant Kraft, the EU competition regulator said on Wednesday.

It said it will decide by December 14 whether it considers that a...


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Hedge Funds may help Kraft to succeed in hostile bid

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, November 12, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Up to 14 per cent of  Cadbury's shares are estimated to be controlled by hedge funds that are betting  that Krafty will increase its $16.2bn  offer for the UK confectioner, this increase the probability that its hostile bid will succeed.

Brokers predict that towards the end of the bid battle, so-called merger arbitrageurs could own more than a quarter of Cadbury’s stock, potentially shifting the outcome of the deal in Kraft’s favour.

These funds aim to profit from the spread between ...


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The arbitration case for China Joint Venture results in favor of Danone

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
The judgment handed down by a Swedish arbitration tribunal on September 30 was a victory for Danone over Zong Qinghou, the French food group’s  JV partner since 1996 and founder of beverage-maker Wahaha Group. A three-member tribunal convened by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce’s Arbitration Institute ruled that Mr. Zong had breached confidentiality and non-competition agreements.

The tribunal also ordered that Mr Zong should stop using the Wahaha Trademarks and any other intellectual ...


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Kraft goes hostile on Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 9, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
The Cadbury board has rejected a formal bid from Kraft, launched just four hours ahead of the ‘put up or shut up’ deadline set by the Takeover Panel. At 13:00 GMT today, Kraft put in a £9.8bn offer – the same as its original expression of interest in September.

Chairman Roger Carr again branded Kraft a “low-growth conglomerate” and said Cadbury would perform more strongly as an independent business.

"The repetition of a proposal which is now of less value and lower than the curre...


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Kraft set for hostile move on Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Saturday, November 7, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
US food group  Kraft was on Friday preparing to launch a hostile takeover bid for Cadbury in its ambition to create a combined global confectionery group.

Kraft was finalising its plans to make a direct appeal to the shareholders of Britain’s best-known chocolate brand by Monday when a “put-up or shut-up” deadline enforced by the Takeover Panel expires, according to people familiar with the situation.

Cadbury was not expecting a last-minute friendly approach from Kraft over the week...


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Barry Callebaut is to acquire Spanish chocolate maker Chocovic

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Thursday, November 5, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
Swiss chocolate group Barry Callebaut yesterday (4 November) signed an agreement with the Nederland Group to acquire Spanish Chocovic, a company  belonging to Nederland Group, specialising in chocolate and specialty products for industrial and artisanal customers.

The deal, Callebaut said, will strengthen its position with industrial and artisanal customers in Spain. It also underscores the company’s strategic intention to further expand its core business with industrial and artisanal cust...


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Kraft will stay with current price

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

As the time closes for Kraft to place new cards on trhe table for Cadbury takeover according to a Reuters report, which cited sources close to the situation, Kraft plans to keep a price increase off the table in order to retain the bargaining chip for later in the negotiation process. Such a move would effectively turn Kraft's bid hostile.


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Tesco should consider buying Ahold in the US...

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Tesco Plc, the U.K.’s biggest retailer, should consider buying Royal Ahold NV at a cost of about 15 billion euros ($22.2 billion) to accelerate its U.S. expansion, ING analysts wrote in a note.

Ahold, the Amsterdam-based owner of Stop & Shop and Giant supermarkets in the U.S., is “cheap on all metrics,” which may lead to takeover interest, analysts Peter Brockwell and John David Roeg wrote in a note dated Oct. 30 and received today. Tesco runs Fresh & Easy shops in...


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Shareholders have week to wait for Kraft to unwrap its bid for Cadbury

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 2, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

summarized from  an article fromThe Times 02 November 2009 written by Helen Power

Kraft is set to make a hostile bid for Cadbury within a week. Under Takeover Panel rules, the American food group must bid for the British maker of Creme Eggs, Dairy Milk and liquorice allsorts by 5pm next Monday or walk away for six months.

Should Kraft make a hostile bid, it is likely that the outcome will not be decided until well into next year.

The American food maker offered 745p a share for its target ...


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Wessanen sold Karl Kemper to BPE and Management

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 2, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 
 

Wessanen, the Dutch food group, has sold its German frozen meat business Karl Kemper  sold to a group owned by funds managed by BPE Private Equity in Hamburg and members of the Karl Kemper management for an undisclosed sum. The proceeds will be fully paid in cash.

Karl Kemper produces frozen meat, poultry and vegetarian meal components for the German out-of-home channel.


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Tate & Lyle sells minority stakes in sugar refineries....

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Monday, November 2, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Tate & Lyle has reached an agreement to sell its minority stake in sugar refineries in Saudi Arabia and Egypt to Saudi-based sugar refiner Savola, the companies have said.

The divestment is the latest stage in Tate & Lyle’s sale of its sugar trading business, announced in July 2008 with the sale of its international sugar trading business to oilseed giant Bunge. Tate & Lyle said that the sale would reduce its exposure to volatile commodity prices and allow the company to concentrate on ...


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Unilever eyes acquisitions!

Posted by Turgut Ziyal on Saturday, October 24, 2009, In : Mergers and Acquisitions 

Data sourced from Bloomberg, Reuters, Daily Telegraph; additional content by Warc staff,
15 October 2009

LONDON: Unilever, the FMCG company, is hoping to make further acquisitions in the future, as it seeks to expand its portfolio of brands and take advantage of the possibilities offered in this area by the financial crisis, according to Paul Polman, its chief executive.

As previously reported, Unilever bought Sara Lee's personal care operations for €1.28 billion ($1.91bn; £1.19bn) last mon...

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About This Blog:


getfoodnews In this blog I try to compile the news related with food industry. This includes food companies, retailers, ingredients, regulations, mergers&acqusitions and others. In each post I try to designate the source of the news and add a link to the original document. I hope you find it useful. For any comments please feel free to send me an email (turgut@getfoodnews.com). You can post your comments inside the boxes appearing at the end of each posting when clicked the headline.
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