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It seems as though every other day, the headlines announce a new acquisition among major retailers. The giants in the industry are diversifying their products, sucking up more stock, and building mighty kingdoms that boutique and small business owners can’t even throw stones at. How can these smaller businesses possibly compete? First, take a look at what’s happening… It was recently announced that Michael Kors would acquire the Jimmy Choo brand for $1.17 billion…. Read More
After years of approaches, US-based Huntsman Corp and Switzerland’s Clariant AG have announced that they will merge to create a chemicals manufacturer worth more than $14 billion. Last year, it was reported that talks had broken down between the two over a disagreement of who would play the lead role; however, a statement from Clariant AG announced that the deal will create a global specialty chemicals company that is 52 per cent… Read More
Amazon has announced it will acquire upmarket grocer, Whole Foods Market Inc, for $13.7 billion in a deal that includes the company’s debt. Expected to close late 2017, the deal will not only be the largest in the online retailer’s history, but also a major step in expanding into bricks-and-mortar retail. Founded in 1978 in Texas, Whole Foods Market has been a pioneer of natural and organic foods, and, today, boasts… Read More
Following our report last month on the $130bn mega-merger between US chemical giants Dow Chemical and DuPont, a new deal has announced the creation of a chemicals giant with a market value of approx $14 billion. This latest high-profile transaction across the diversified chemicals sector sees companies are striking ever more aggressive deals to find new ways to slash costs and gain greater scale of their segments, typifying the current market trend… Read More
New York design house of modern luxury accessories and lifestyle brands, Coach Inc has acquired its rival Kate Spade & Company for $2.4 billion, a figure “not justified strictly by the numbers” according to the New York Times. The deal figure represents a 27.5 per cent premium on the share price of Kate Space before talk of a deal emerged in December. Coach’s chief executive Victor Luis has promised to only cut… Read More
Apple has hit the headlines this week with the media speculating whether or not they are set for a mammoth acquisition due to its significant and ever-growing stash of cash. It’s estimated that the tech giant holds somewhere in the region of a quarter-trillion dollars that it could use to snap up another business or two. Amongst the potential acquisition targets is Netflix and Tesla Motors, with both brands making a lot… Read More
Market trends mean that deal analysts can typically anticipate which mega-merger is on the cards, or which up-and-coming business is likely to be snapped up by a bigger company. But there are times when M&A announcements come as a real surprise to the industry. Some deals seem so strange that even industry experts expect them to fail. Last year, for example, London-based games developer Splash Damage was bought by Chinese chicken supplier… Read More
Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, he appointed the then-Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ajit Pai as the Commission’s Chairman. Pai has served as Commissioner since his appointment by President Obama in 2012, however industry experts predict that Pai’s new role as Chairman spells a positive outlook for M&A in the telecoms sector. A number of these industry commentators have characterised the Obama administration as being a blocker to… Read More
The mega-merger between chemicals and seeds producer DuPont and chemical corporation Dow is now expected to close later than anticipated. The $130bn deal has encountered a roadblock as the companies face further regulatory approvals, which means that this is now the second occasion the deal’s completion date has been pushed back. The deal will now be subject to an investigation from EU competition regulators amid antitrust concerns. The investigation into the mega-deal… Read More