The Swiss market mergers and acquisitions declined in Q3 2016. Compared to Q2, the number of transactions increased from 107 to 80 while the volume fell to $ 9.3 billion from 22.2 billion.
If compared with the same period last year, which had been strongly influenced by the $28.3 billion-deal, US Chubb’s acquisition by Zurich-based american insurer ACE, the volume of transactions fell by 32.2 billion, KPMG writes in a statement released yesterday.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s shareholders have approved the $104 billion takeover of rival SABMiller at a general meeting in Brussels. It’s the third largest deal, with the merger between the first and the second global group.
The deal was given the thumbs up by more than 95% of SAB shareholders who voted. AB InBev chief executive Carlos Brit said: “We are pleased that our shareholders’ vote brings us one step closer to combining our companies, teams, strong heritage and passion for brewing”, before announcing that the name Anheuser-Busch would remain.
Walt Disney is said to be working with an adviser on a potential Twitter bid, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday, putting the entertainment company together with firms such as Google and Salesforce in the race to buy San Francisco-based social network. The purchase would give Disney a new online outlet for entertainment.
Marriott International has completed the $17 billion acquisition of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, thus creating the largest hotel group in the world, as the note of the company suggested. Starwood shareholders will receive $ 21 in cash and 0.80 share of Marriott class A common stock for each share of Starwood common stock.
Marriott intends to take the necessary steps to ensure that the Starwood debt is matched by the debt of Marriott International by the end of 2016, in order to maintain the credit rating of investment grade.
The Geneva-based SGS Group (Société Générale de Surveillance), world leader in the certification and inspection industry, expands its activities in agriculture in the United States. It acquired McCrea’s license and assets, an agency approved by the US Department of Agriculture. This was reported by Reuters.
China is creating the second largest steel group in the world.
According to Chinese media, it could be announced in the week the takeover by Baosteel Group, government-company, China’s second giant of the sector, which would incorporate Wuhan Iron and Steel Group. The two companies are currently in fourth and eleventh place in the world ranking of steel producers and, according to figures by the World Steel Association, combined annual capacity of the two companies in 2015 was around to 60.7 million tons, behind only to Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal.
OVS, Italian clothing chain, has launched a takeover bid for Charles Vögele Holding, active in the fashion retailer, with 760 stores including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Eastern Europe and annual sales of about 800 million Swiss francs .
The goal is to acquire a minority stake of 35% in Sempione Retail for a total investment of 14.1 million Swiss francs and no significant impact on indebtedness. Sempione Retail is the vehicle through which it was launched the takeover bid for the shares of Charles Vögele Holding, at a price of 6.38 Swiss francs each.
The banking sector in Europe could more easily see the merger and acquisition (M & A) only among the small and medium-sized banks, not the big banks, such as Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, which were recently riding rumours of a merger.
"Mergers and acquisitions among mid-tier EU banks are more likely than large-scale deals such as between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, whose recent discussions were reported in the media," Fitch said.
