Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO)’s European bottler has tabled a $6.6 billion to acquire its Australian peer Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd CCL. The proposed takeover bid is a cut-price proposal owing to depressed valuation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the deal represents the biggest takeover involving an Australian entity. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have resorted to cost cuts, consequently a reduction in the number of mergers and acquisitions. Warnings that a bounce back from the COVID-19 shocks could take years has forced companies to be extremely cautious regarding capital spending.
Coca-Cola Amatil is one of the company’s that has been hard hit by the pandemic. Its profits have shrunk significantly in the aftermath of shutdowns of restaurants and pubs as part of lockdowns and social distancing policies put in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
Coca-Cola Amatil takeover
Amid the COVID-19 shutdown shocks, Coca-Cola Amatil Chief Executive Officer Alison Watkins confident of the business recovering even as uncertainty hangs in the air owing to an economic slowdown. Shares of Amatil rose by 15% on the confirmation of the takeover bid. Investors remain bullish about the deal generating significant value in the aftermath of Coca-Cola Amatil’s hares tanking below the $10 mark in recent months.
Coca-Cola owns a 31% stake in the Australian company and 19% in the London Listed Coca-Cola European Partners. The company insists that the $6.6 billion deal would be in the best interest of the two companies as well as shareholders.
Coca-Cola owns a 31% stake in the Australian company and 19% in the London Listed Coca-Cola European Partners. The company insists that the $6.6 billion deal would be in the best interest of the two companies as well as shareholders.
The Australian unit says it will have to conduct due diligence before making a binding offer. The deal is also subject to customary closing conditions, key among securing regulatory approval from Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board. The board was formed to block overseas deals deemed to pose security risks or supply chain risks.