Según ha informado hace escasos minutos Bloomberg, Aryzta ha recibido una OPA por valor de $872 millones. Comparto la noticia por aquí y la fuente original:
Elliott Said to Bid $872 Million for McDonald’s Supplier Aryzta
Billionaire Paul Singer’s Elliott Management Corp. has made a fresh takeover bid for ailing Swiss baking company Aryzta AG, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Elliott proposed an offer of about 0.80 Swiss francs per share in recent weeks and reiterated its interest in the past few days, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. That price would represent a 32% premium to Thursday’s close and value Aryzta at about 794 million francs ($872 million), data compiled by Bloomberg show.
The U.S. investment firm has conducted due diligence and lined up financing for the potential acquisition, the people said. Aryzta’s recently-departed chief executive officer, Kevin Toland, was in favor of considering a potential sale and engaging with Elliott, the people said.
The board of Aryzta is split on whether to pursue a sale or remain independent, one of the people said. The company announced late Thursday that Toland would cease his role as CEO effective immediately, without providing further explanation. Chairman Urs Jordi, who has spoken publicly against a sale, will take on the role in an interim capacity pending the search for a replacement.
Elliott is seeking a friendly deal, the people said. Shares of Zurich-based Aryzta have fallen 42% this year, giving the company a market value of about 628 million francs. Representatives for Aryzta and Elliott declined to comment.
Board Shakeup
Aryzta, which supplies buns to McDonald’s, announced in September that Elliott was in advanced talks about a potential takeover bid. The company said late last month that negotiations had ended without a binding offer. It has since appointed Houlihan Lokey Inc. and Alantra Partners SA to advise on potential asset disposals that will help it focus on its core markets.
The move was one of the first under Jordi. The food industry veteran, who is a trained baker, was elected as part of a September board shakeup that saw his predecessor apologize for failing to turn around the company.
Jordi said at the Sept. 16 shareholder meeting that now “would be the worst point in time to sell the company.” The new chairman said his goal is to simplify Aryzta, push innovation and strengthen performance to serve its customers.