Word: bids
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Kraft's unsolicited bid to take out candy giant Cadbury PLC in a GBP10.2 billion ($16.7 billion) deal has Wall Street placing bets on whether rival Hershey Co. will jump into the fray...
After weeks of twists and turns in the battle for control of General Motors' European unit Opel, the U.S. car giant finally made up its mind Thursday and decided to sell a majority stake to a bid headed by Canadian car-parts firm Magna, albeit with strings attached. The deal came as something of a surprise; over the past few days there has been feverish speculation in Berlin that GM had decided to hang onto Opel in Germany as well as its Vauxhall brand...
...Fritz Henderson phoned Chancellor Angela Merkel's office Thursday to seal the deal. The decision to sell Opel and Vauxhall to Magna is a coup for Merkel who has staked her credibility on the bid, a joint offer from the Canadian car-parts manufacturer and Russia's state-owned Sberbank. Since May, Merkel and the German government have thrown their weight behind Magna's offer, arguing that Magna already had extensive experience in building autos. Berlin also likes the fact that the Magna bid will keep open Opel's four factories in Germany, thus saving more jobs there than rival...
...Merkel's government announced it would bankroll the Magna bid in May, pledging $2.1 billion as a bridge loan to keep Opel afloat, as well as $4 billion in future loan guarantees. The German government also made it clear it wouldn't stump cash for any other bidder. Some politicians accused Merkel of "blackmail" and warned that her government's support for Magna could backfire. Initially, GM had serious reservations about Magna's offer and seemed to favor a rival bid by the Belgian-based investor, RHJ International. One GM official said RHJ's offer was "simple and elegant...
...Detroit for a Berlin news conference, said Magna had come up with the best offer. "Magna has a great manufacturing culture and it enjoys the support of German labour unions, and the funding is there. It makes sense," said Smith. But he also warned of job-cuts. Magna's bid outlined a plan to wind down production at GM's factory in Antwerp, Belgium, and shift some production from a Spanish plant to Germany. Magna executives have said that 10,000 jobs might be axed across Europe. Opel's union chief, Klaus Franz, welcomed news of the deal...