Alimentation Couche-Tard’s proposed acquisition of Seven & I Holdings, if successful, wouldn’t just be the largest takeover of a Japanese company, it would also be extremely rare.
The Canadian convenience store chain operator’s preliminary proposal to buy 7-Eleven owner Seven & I Holdings could be worth more than ¥5.63 trillion ($38.4 billion), based on the Japanese company’s market value after news of the potential deal was disclosed.
Until now, an attempt to acquire such a well-known Japanese business at such scale would have been dismissed as audacious and unlikely, given the protectionist tendencies of the government and corporate boards prioritizing stability over shareholder value.