A Five-calories Drink a Day Keeps the Doctor Away…or not? Dr Pepper Snapple Acquires Bai Brands for $1.7bn

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) — market cap as of 24/11/2016: $16.031bn Introduction On November 22, 2016, Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., an American beverage producer, agreed to acquire Bai Brands, another American beverage producer focused on antioxidant beverages, for $1.7bn. The deal emerges as traditional customers sway Read more…

Chinese European Shopping Still Hot: Ctrip.com to Acquire Skyscanner

Ctrip.com International Ltd. (CTRP:US) – Market Cap as of 26/11/2016: $22.4bn Introduction On November 23, 2016, Ctrip.com announced the acquisition of the UK travel website, Skyscanner, for £1.4bn. Ctrip looks to consolidate its position in the European market providing services for an increasing number of Chinese people flying to Europe Read more…

Tech Behind the Wheel: Samsung to Acquire Harman for $8bn

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930:KSE) – market cap as of 18/11/2016: $188.98bn (KRW223.117tn) Harman International Industries Inc. (HAR:NYSE) – market cap as of 18/11/2016: $ 7.622bn Introduction On November 14, Samsung Electronics Co. announced the acquisition of Harman International Industries Inc. for a total equity value of approximately $8bn, and Read more…

Consolidate or Perish: Largest Japanese Freight Ship Companies to Combine Container Shipping Operations

Nippon Yusen K.K. — market cap as of 11/11/2016: ¥326.51bn (€2.94bn) Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. — market cap as of 11/11/2016: ¥320.87bn (€2.89bn) Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. — market cap as of 11/11/2016: ¥225.45bn (€2.03bn) Introduction On October 31, Nippon Yusen K.K., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha reached Read more…

Disruptive Trends in Tech M&A: The Cases of Microsoft and Snapchat

Introduction Over the past years, the technology industry experienced an overwhelming volume of M&A activity. The following article aims at outlining the motivations behind this phenomenon and at identifying numerous disrupting factors. Microsoft’s acquisition of the professional social network LinkedIn, as well as Snapchat’s rebranding strategy and potential IPO in Read more…

Times are Smoking Hot! – BAT to Acquire the Remaining Stake in Reynolds for $47bn

British American Tobacco Plc. (BATS)—market cap as of 28/10/16: £87.26bn Reynolds American, Inc. (RAI)—market cap as of 28/10/16: $78.16bn Introduction On October 21, 2016, British American Tobacco (“BAT”) delivered a non-binding merger proposal to Reynolds American Inc. (“Reynolds”). Through this $47bn deal, BAT will acquire the remaining 57.8% of Reynolds’ Read more…