Mondelez Exploring Takeover of US Chocolate Maker Hershey


(Bloomberg) — Mondelez International Inc., the snacks and sweets company, is exploring an acquisition of iconic US chocolate maker Hershey Co., in a potential deal that would create a food giant with combined sales of almost $50 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Chicago-based Mondelez has made a preliminary approach about a possible combination, said the people, who asked not to be identified because discussions are private.

Shares in Hershey Co. rose as much as 19% on Monday for their biggest intraday gain in more than eight years after the Bloomberg News report. The stock was trading up about 14% at 12:49 p.m. in New York, giving the company a market value of $40 billion. Mondelez fell 2%, giving it a market capitalization of roughly $82 billion.

It’s not the first time Mondelez has sought a deal for Hershey Co. In 2016, it walked away from discussions about a potential takeover after seeing a $23 billion bid rejected by the chocolate maker.

Hershey Co. has a value of roughly $45 billion including debt, Bloomberg-compiled data show. That means a takeover of the Hershey, Pennsylvania-based company would top the value of the year’s biggest deal – snack maker Mars Inc.’s agreement to buy Kellanova for nearly $36 billion including debt in August.

Any deal would require the backing of Hershey Trust Co., which owns almost all of Hershey Co.’s Class B stock, giving it roughly 80% of the voting power at the company. The trust has slowly been selling some of its Hershey Co. shares in an effort to diversify its holdings. If Hershey Trust were supportive of a takeover, Hershey Co. could attract interest from other suitors, the people said.

Deliberations are in the early stages and there’s no certainty that discussions will lead to a deal, the people said. A representative for Mondelez declined to comment. A representative for Hershey Co. said the company doesn’t comment on market rumors. A spokesperson for Hershey Trust couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says

Mondelez’s renewed interest in Hershey, based on a Bloomberg News report, could lead to a transformational deal that bolsters its global chocolate market share to over 21%. Yet there are hurdles: Hershey’s enterprise value is $45 billion vs. the $25 billion Mondelez offered in 2016 and its dual-class share structure makes approval from the Hershey Trust a must. FTC clearance may be another challenge, given the agency’s resistance to large deals.



Source link

About The Author