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In the transformation driven by technology and stream-video challenges, media giants have taken acquisition strategies to uphold their current status and seek for vertical business expansion via entering content creation area. AT&T, the telecom and media giant, initiated an acquisition of Time Warner in October 2016 at a bid of USD 85bn, which was considered as the biggest M&A deal that year worldwide. But the process was blocked mainly by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and stagnant for nearly 2 years. In June 2018, the vertical merger was approved by the U.S. District Judge and completed on 14.06.2018. Concerns about legitimate regulation should be largely taken into account of the evaluation of success of acquisitions.
Deal Logic Linde / Praxair
(2018)
Currently in news for the last moment approval from the Federal Trade Commission to make the Praxair and Linde merger a reality, the development of the deal has not been short of hurdles. Initially, Praxair-Linde faced resistance from the European Union under the accusation that the merger would hinder competition. Later, both companies had to undertake multiple selling transactions to meet the anti-trust requirements of the countries in which they operated. Praxair and Linde were finally able to meet the requirements in early November for a successful completion of the merger.
Linde and Praxair, the world’s no. 2 and no. 3 industrial gas suppliers respectively, were in the spotlight due to the size of the merger and the impact that it would have on the gas industry, almost making them a monopoly firm.
E.ON SE intends to acquire Innogy SE from its competitor RWE AG based on a comprehensive exchange of business activities. The acquisition was announced in the first quarter of 2018 and is expected to be finalized late 2019. Next key milestones are the closing of a public takeover offer to minority shareholders and the approval of relevant antitrust and regulatory authorities. On the one hand, the merger will directly affect existing structures in the German energy market, helping both companies, E.ON and RWE, to significantly strengthen their respective core businesses. On the other hand, however, potential disadvantaged parties include Innogy itself, employees, municipalities and end customers.
Amazon is entering the stationary food trade in the US on a large scale. The world's largest online retailer acquires the organic chain Whole Foods Market for around USD 13.6bn. It is by far the largest acquisition in the company's history only followed by its purchase of the video game streaming platform Twitch and the online pharmacy PillPack, each for approximately USD 1 bn. Amazon had put pressure on stationary retailers in recent years and has shown an increasing interest in getting involved in their own business. Amazon opened several bookstores and also drives plans for high-tech supermarkets, which can be operated by only few employees. The group has also been expanding in the fresh food trade and the insurance sector for some time.
Deal Logic WABCO / ZF
(2019)
Anticipating future developments is not only a key task of every successful management team but also one of the most challenging ones. Sometimes, the pace of the markets towards a specific development can surpass the capable speed of change within a firm. In this case, acquisitions are a good option to not fall behind new or more agile competitors. The electrification of the automotive industry calls for new, innovative parts beyond the combustion engine. Due to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) low Real Net Output Ratio, the automotive suppliers will be required to do most of the anticipation. ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF) is betting on breaks to be vital demand driver of the future, with their acquisition of WABCO Holdings Inc. (WABCO).
Deal Logic Sprint / T-Mobile
(2019)
The two major US mobile operators, T-Mobile US Inc (T-Mobile) and Sprint Corp (Sprint), announced the merger of both firms in April 2018. The merger was initiated by T-Mobile that recently ranked as the third largest player in the US mobile telecommunication market. The transaction supports T-Mobile's aim to build the most extensive mobile network with the highest transmission capacity until 2024.
Deutsche Telekom AG and SoftBank will hold 42.0% and 27.0% of the new firm respectively. As a consequence of the deal, the new entity will challenge the top two market leaders Verizon and AT&T and reform the current telecommunication business landscape in the USA.
Deal Logic Shire / Takeda
(2019)
After a long bidding phase, the Japanese pharma company Takeda is going to take over the Ireland based manufacturer and wholesaler of pharmaceutical products Shire PLC. In the fifth attempt, Takeda offered USD 62 bn. The acquisition will create a leading provider of drugs for the treatment of rare diseases, cancer, blood clotting disorders, neurological disorders, or gastroenterology. With Shire, Takeda would double the size of their pharmaceutical business to about USD 30 bn, making it one of the top ten pharma companies worldwide. The takeover is the second biggest the pharmaceutical industry has seen so far and the largest overseas acquisition by a Japanese company.
Disrupt yourself to avoid getting disrupted: Large firms struggling with further growth, acquiring smaller innovation drivers with complementary assets isn’t something new. But what is hard, in this context, is to justify the surging valuations and to identify the underlying synergies. When it comes to the High-Tech sector this can quickly become a philosophical question. The big question in the acquisition of Red Hat Inc. by IBM, analyzed in this Deal Logic, is the one concerning the future of cloud computing, especially when it comes to customer approval.
Deal Logic LVMH / Belmond
(2019)
In the recent past, the demand for luxury experiences has grown. An increase in the middle and upper class disposable income, changes in lifestyle patterns, and demand for unique and exotic holiday experiences have been the forefront drivers. The global luxury travel market is expected to garner USD 1.2tr by 2022. Epitomising desirable destinations, luxurious accommodations, convenient transport facilities, and authentic travel experience, the luxury travel market has great future potential to grow and diversify. Customization and personalization gain increasing importance in luxury tourism. Also, the concept of luxury travel changes from opulence to exclusive. Synonymous with luxury, LVMH bets on the future of this market that is increasingly going experiential. Belmond would help it increase its luxury image. It would benefit from a luxury perception with both tangible and experiential products in its portfolio.
Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV) and First Data Corporation (NYSE: FDC) coannounced on Jan 16th an unanimous merger agreement under which Fiserv would acquire First Data in a pure-stock transaction. The merger would combine two well-established Fintech companies into one giant. For each share of First Data, a fixed exchange ratio of 0.303 Fiserv shares is agreed, for a total equity value of USD 22bn. After the close of the transaction, Fiserv shareholders will own 57.5% of the new combined company, and First Data shareholders will own 42.5% on a fully diluted basis. The pure stock transaction is intended to be tax-free to First Data shareholders. The transaction is slated to close in the second half of the year, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.