A Eur6.4 billion buyout bid was made by Joh A Benkiser, a German investor for D.E. Masters Blenders 1753. As a result of the offer, shares of the Dutch beverage company shot up by as much as 25% in market trading.
DE Master Blenders 1753 is the blender of Douwe Egberts coffee and Pickwick Tea. It has agreed to a due diligence review by JAB based on the offer of Eur17.25 per share that is now owned by the company. This offer had a 33% premium over the closing price of the shares and values the company at US$9.7 billion.
The discussions were still at the early stages and no final agreement have been reached. JAB is the investment arm of the Reimann family and is currently the blender's biggest stockholder. With the acquisition, JAB would only underscore it standing as the market leader in the industry.Other brands under the JAB portfolio include Caribou Coffee Co, Peet's Coffee and Tea Inc.
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