Mergers & Acquisitions in September 2016
The sale of ARM Holdings PLC, the British semiconductor and software design company, was the most valuable transaction during the month of September. ARM Holdings was acquired by SoftBank Group Corporation, the multinational telecommunications and internet corporation, for a staggering £24.3 billion. Negotiations between the two companies had been taking place for a number of months leading up to the sale.
Another notable deal that took place during September was the acquisition of the British company, Home Retail Group PLC, by Sainsbury’s Intermediate Holdings Ltd, which is also based in Britain. The final transaction saw Home Retail Group being acquired for £1.18 billion.
September also saw the completion of the much anticipated sale of British discount chain, Poundland Group PLC, to Steinhoff International, for £462.2 million. Steinhoff, the South African discount retailer, who previously owned 23% of the Poundland brand, lodged an increased bid of 227p a share for the remaining shares, valuing the company at £610.4 million and offering an increase on a previous all-cash bid of 222p per share. Steinhoff said that the acquisition of Poundand would be a “complementary fit” in line with its plans to expand into the UK and the rest of Europe.