Tag: M&A

Staying Connected: 4 Ideas for Meeting with Your Acquisition Team

Team meetings are important in order to move forward confidently when it comes to due diligence.  Ideally I would want everyone on your team to be physically together, but I understand in today’s environment that may be difficult to schedule, and you’ll have to be creative to maintain team cohesion. Here are a few suggestions …

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Valeant Seeks More Acquisitions

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is determined to grow through acquisitions.  Already actively pursuing a deal with Allergan, the maker of Botox, Valeant is reportedly seeking another contact lens company. CEO Michael Pearson said the company “will not be content to remain the No. 4 global player in the contact lens industry.” Valeant has a history of …

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The Strategy Behind the AbbVie-Shire Acquisition

Here’s a quick thought about the Abbvie – Shire transaction that’s received so much recent attention because of the decision to reincorporate in Ireland once the deal is completed. Tax inversions are in vogue and a hot topic in the media. While the tax benefits of an inversion certainly are important in this acquisition, that’s …

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Zillow, Dollar Tree Announce Acquisitions

It was a busy Monday for Mergers & Acquisitions with two big brands announcing consolidations: Zillow will buy Trulia and Dollar Tree will buy Family Dollar. Activity is getting frothy and as I’ve been saying, the sleeping dragon is starting to wake up. Here’s what you need to know about these transactions: Zillow to acquire …

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M&A Update: 1H 2014

M&A activity was on the rise in the first six months of 2014. Global M&A increased 73 percent to $1.77  trillion and  Midmarket M&A increased 18 percent to $399.4 billion. Check out our infographic for a snapshot on Global Mergers and Acquisitions in 1H 2014. Click on the image for a closer look. Feature Photo …

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Mergers and Acquisitions Reach a 7-Year High

Mergers have hit a seven year high.  While deal value is up 73 percent, the number of deals has decreased 0.4 percent, according to Reuters data. This confirms what we’ve been seeing since last year: larger, fewer transactions. With mega deals on the rise, we will likely see more activity in the middle market as …

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M&A – The Route to Success?

The polyolefins industry, like so many others, is evolving significantly. Growth in emerging markets and Asia has skyrocketed while European and North American markets have matured. Last week I was invited to speak at the Future of Polyolefins Conference 2014 in Dusseldorf, Germany, where top executives from key industry players such as Borealis AG and …

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Tyson Foods Wins Fight for Hillshire

Two of the largest chicken producers, Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson Foods, have been fighting over Hillshire Farms. On Monday, Tyson Foods raised its offer to $63 a share in cash, which values Hillshire at $7.7 billion. Last week, Pilgrim’s Pride had raised its bid 22% to $55 a share; however Pilgrim’s Pride has withdrawn its …

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Pharmaceuticals Refocus and Consolidate

Pharmaceutical companies are using acquisition to become “pointy,” or more focused. Two recent examples are Bayer and Merck.  Bayer is focusing on over the counter medications by acquiring Merck’s consumer care business for $14.2 billion. On the other hand, Merck has become more streamlined through divestment. As I’ve mentioned before, although divestment means becoming smaller, …

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Discounts Don’t Drive Growth for Consumer Staples

Facing a stagnant market, retailers of consumer staples have turned to aggressive discounts to drive growth. According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 50% of consumers’ purchases include markdowns! More Discounts is NOT More Growth Businesses in non-growth or declining growth markets understandably must find new ways to capture market share. However, offering more …

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