Finance
Amcor to buy Berry Global in $8.4 billion deal to create packaging powerhouse
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
By Sabrina Valle
(Reuters) -Switzerland-based Amcor Plc on Tuesday agreed to buy U.S. peer Berry Global for $8.43 billion in an all-stock deal, creating a consumer and healthcare packaging giant with combined revenues of $24 billion.
As part of the transaction, Berry’s shareholders will receive $73.59 per share, representing a premium of 9.75% to the stock’s last close. Berry’s shares were up 1% in afternoon trading.
A sharp slowdown in demand for packaging material following a boom fueled by e-commerce during the pandemic has sparked consolidation in the sector.
In April, U.S.-based International Paper agreed to an all-share deal for DS Smith that valued the British packaging firm at 5.8 billion pounds ($7.2 billion).
Amcor and Berry make cartons, closures and containers for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, industries, and will have footprint across more than 140 countries.
The deal is by far Amcor’s largest acquisition to date. In 2019, it bought U.S. rival Bemis in a $5.25 billion all-stock deal but had to divest three manufacturing facilities to gain approval from the U.S. Justice Department.
On a call with analysts, Amcor CEO Peter Konieczny said he did not foresee any exposure to regulatory approvals in the deal with Berry, pointing toward relatively lesser overlaps.
Konieczny will serve as CEO of the combined company, which is expected to generate adjusted earnings of $4.3 billion. The transaction is expected to result in synergies of about $650 million by the end of the third year after the closing of the deal, which is expected to happen in the middle of 2025.
The combined entity will be named Amcor Plc, with a primary listing on the NYSE. The transaction, which will result in Amcor holding 63% in the combined entity, has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies.
Amcor and Berry initiated talks on a potential deal earlier this year, according to a person familiar with the matter.
UBS, Goldman Sachs, and Kirkland & Ellis advised Amcor on the deal, while Lazard, Wells Fargo and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom advised Berry.
Separately, Berry posted a fourth-quarter adjusted profit of $2.27 per share, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $2.25, according to data compiled by LSEG.
(Reporting by Sabrina Valle in New York, additional reporting by Savyata Mishra, Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala, Sriraj Kalluvila and Jonathan Oatis)
A merger is a business strategy where two companies combine to form a single entity, often to enhance operational efficiency, market reach, and financial performance.
An acquisition occurs when one company purchases another company, gaining control over its assets and operations, typically to expand its market presence or product offerings.
Synergies refer to the potential financial benefit achieved through the combination of two companies, where the combined performance is greater than the sum of their separate performances.
A stock premium is the amount by which the market price of a stock exceeds its par value, often reflecting the company's perceived value and investor demand.
Adjusted earnings are a company's earnings that have been modified to exclude certain one-time items, providing a clearer picture of ongoing operational performance.
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