Danish brewer Carlsberg (CARL-B) is buying soft drink maker Britvic (BVIC) for £3.28 billion (US$4.2 billion), ending months of negotiations between the two companies.
The deal that has been reached will see Britvic shareholders receive 1,315 pence per share from Carlsberg, including a small dividend payment.
Britvic had previously rebuffed multiple cash takeover offers from Carlsberg, saying most recently that that the proposals “significantly undervalue Britvic, and its current and future prospects.”
But now that a deal has been reached, Britvic said in a written statement that the acquisition by Carlsberg “creates an enlarged international group that is well-placed to capture the growth opportunities in multiple drinks sectors.”
Britvic bottles and distributes PepsiCo (PEP) branded soft drinks throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, and analysts said that is the prize Carlsberg had been chasing with this acquisition.
Carlsberg said, in announcing the deal, that the Britvic purchase will help it become the premier beverage company in both the U.K. and Europe.
Carlsberg’s stock, which trades on the stock exchange in its native Denmark, has declined 16% over the last 12 months.
Britvic’s stock, which trades on the London Stock Exchange, has risen 50% over the past year as the takeover battle with Carlsberg has played out.
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