Tag - acquisitions

 
 

ACQUISITIONS

SoftBank Group has agreed to acquire semiconductor designer Ampere Computing.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 20, 2025
SoftBank seals $6.5 billion deal for chip designer Ampere
The move further broadens the Japanese investment firm’s push into artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Alex Miller, CEO of Alimentation Couche-Tard, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo last week.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 20, 2025
Couche-Tard seeks to reassure investors on Seven & I approach
The parent company of the Circle K chain has been pursuing Seven & I for months, bidding almost $50 billion for it, but has been rebuffed.
A 7-Eleven convenience store, operated by Seven & I Holdings, at the company's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 19, 2025
Seven & I signs confidentiality pact with Canada’s Couche-Tard
The nondisclosure agreement (NDA) will pave the way for discussions around antitrust issues in the United States, Seven & I said.
Alain Bouchard (left), chairman and founder of Alimentation Couche-Tard, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on March 13.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 19, 2025
Couche-Tard meets privately with Seven & I investors, pressing case for takeover
The Canadian firm has sought to reassure the public and key stakeholders that it's not considering a hostile takeover, despite a monthslong standoff with Seven & I.
Google will acquire cloud security platform Wiz for $32 billion, citing the need for greater cybersecurity capacity as artificial intelligence embeds itself in technology infrastructure.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 19, 2025
Google to buy cybersecurity company Wiz for $32 billion
The transaction will test Donald Trump's openness to large takeovers after resistance to such deals by the administration of his predecessor.
U.S. Justice Department has asked that oral arguments for a lawsuit filed by Nippon Steel against the U.S. government for blocking its planned acquisition of United States Steel be rescheduled for the week of May 12.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 18, 2025
U.S. government seeks to postpone oral arguments in Nippon Steel suit
The move is apparently aimed at giving the current administration time for talks with the Japanese steelmaker for it to decide on the bid to acquire United States Steel.
Alimentation Couche-Tard founder Alain Bouchard (center), CEO Alex Miller (left) and CFO Filipe Da Silva attend a photo session after a news conference on their bid for Seven & I Holdings in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies / EXPLAINER
Mar 17, 2025
Why Couche-Tard's deal with Seven & I isn't going anywhere
The buyout bid has seen a mixed response in Japan, with some expressing concerns over the convenience store chain being taken over by a foreign company.
Idled blast furnaces at U.S. Steel's Granite City Works in Granite City, Illinois, in July 2017
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 15, 2025
U.S. Steel activist investor boosts holding in turnaround push
The move comes as hope for the deal that drew massive attention during the 2024 American presidential election has shown little progress.
The Nikkei stock average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Many firms on the TSE have price-to-book ratios of less than 1, lowering the perceived quality of the exchange, which should consider taking steps to increase valuations and trading volume.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 14, 2025
Tokyo Stock Exchange must weed out underperforming firms
Tokyo wants to become Asia's top financial hub, but faces big obstacles. Among them, the presence of too many companies with low profitability and growth prospects.
Alimentation Couche-Tard founder and executive chairman Alain Bouchard (left) and President Alex Miller hold a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 13, 2025
Alimentation Couche-Tard ramps up campaign to take over Seven & I
The Canadian convenience store giant and owner of Circle-K has sought to combat skepticism surrounding the deal, most recently with a news conference in Tokyo.
In the Japanese credit market, Change of Control covenants — which give bondholders certain rights to redeem the debt before maturity if the borrower has a significant change in ownership structure — have been very rarely seen, until now.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 10, 2025
Japan credit investors seek shield from M&A risks as deals boom
Change of Control clauses, which had been rare in Japan, are being increasingly sought by investors.
Couche-Tard has made clear that it wants to learn from Seven & I Holdings to improve its North America operation, and has ruled out going hostile in takeover talks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 7, 2025
Couche-Tard holds talks for sale of U.S. shops in Seven & I deal
The retailer last year proposed to purchase Seven & I Holdings for $18.19 per share, but so far hasn’t been able to enter negotiations with the firm.
Seven & I named Stephen Hayes Dacus as its first foreign chief executive on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2025
Seven & I announces measures to fend off Couche-Tard takeover
The announcements are the latest twist in a saga that began last year when Seven & I rebuffed a takeover offer from Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard.
Ryota Ishibashi, president of a subsidiary of Trial (far left), in a joint news conference with Seiyu
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2025
Discount store operator Trial to acquire Seiyu
Trial currently plans to retain Seiyu's company name and staff.
Nippon Steel is trying to build its business globally with U.S. Steel as a key component.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Mar 5, 2025
U.S. Steel seen as key to Nippon Steel's global strategy
To meet its target of raising its annual crude steel production capacity to over 100 million metric tons, the firm needs to forge ahead into promising foreign markets.
A Prada sign sits at an entrance to one of its stores in central Milan, Italy, in 2017. Prada and Capri could finalize a deal for Versace this month.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 4, 2025
Versace owner Capri jumps on Prada moving closer to purchase
A purchase would run counter to a decadeslong trend of Italian fashion groups being taken over by foreign firms.
The Seven & I takeover saga is being closely watched as a test case of Japan’s openness to foreign capital, after recent governance reforms banned corporations from ignoring overtures that may raise value for shareholders.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 4, 2025
Seven & I shares fall amid report it may reject buyout offer
The company said it is still having constructive discussions with Couche-Tard after a report said it would reject the offer.
Takeover bids in Japan are expected to reach a record this year amid growing pressure on companies to boost shareholder returns.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 4, 2025
Japan small-cap fund tops rivals with stocks few analysts cover
The NicheJungle Japanese Orphan Companies SDG Fund has exited positions in 20 companies at a profit, with half of these firms taken over since the fund's 2022 launch.
Blackstone said it agreed to purchase 60% of Tokyo-based CMIC, a contract research organization, in a deal that values the company in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 3, 2025
Blackstone buys Japan drug trial firm, adding to private equity health deals
Blackstone has been increasingly active in Japan’s life science sector amid a wider buyout boom in the country.
The rapid collapse of the plan to take Seven & I private reflects how personal egos and domestic competitiveness ultimately outweighed the nationalistic desire to fend off Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard, whose pursuit of the Japanese retailer emerged last August.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 2, 2025
Seven & I and Nissan deal fallout leaves Japan companies vulnerable
The collapse of the deals means the companies are potentially even more vulnerable to foreign takeovers.

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