ConAgra Foods Inc (NYSE: CAG) announced on Tuesday that it agreed to buy Ralcorp Holdings Inc (NYSE: RAH) in all cash deal estimated at $4.95 billion. The deal will make ConAgra one of the largest packaged food companies in North America with estimated annual sales of $18 billion.
According to the agreement, ConAgra will pay $90 for each common share of Ralcorp—which is a premium of 28% on Ralcorp’s closing price on Monday. After including debt liabilities, the deal, according to ConAgra, was valued at about $6.8 billion. The deal is expected to close by end of March.
Although Ralcorp had turned down ConAgra’s several bids during last year, the Company was under persistent pressure to sell itself from one of its largest shareholders, Carl Icahn, a fund manager.
Post merger, the combined strength of employees will exceed 36,000, the companies said. The deal will also make ConAgra as the largest private labeled food business in North America, with combined private label sales of $4.5 billion.
In order to boost its pace of growth, ConAgra lately has devised new strategy which includes consolidation in private label segments, expansion in international markets, and enhance its core business.
ConAgra said that apart from its new purchase its current private label business is estimated at nearly $950 million. According to ConAgra, industry analysts say that private labels now represent 18% of total sales in packaged food market in the U.S. Moreover, in recent times, the growth in private label market has consistently outpaced the growth in overall food market, said the company.
The Company said Ralcorp’s portfolio will complement ConAgra’s range of products since there is very little overlap.
Some of the leading private label offerings from Ralcorp include, pasta, jellies, cereal, crackers, syrups and frozen waffles.
Commenting over the acquisition, ConAgra’s Chief Executive, Garry Rodkin said, “Adding Ralcorp provides us with a much larger presence in the attractive and growing private label segment and accelerates our Recipe for Growth strategy.”
The company said that acquisition of Ralcorp is expected to bring only “modest benefit” next fiscal year due to the timings of the deal-close. However, the expected acquisition will result in cost synergies of $225 million on annual basis from the fourth fiscal year after the deal closes.
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