Wednesday, September 14th 2016
Bayer and Monsanto today announced that they signed a definitive merger agreement under which Bayer will acquire Monsanto for $128 per share - up from the latest offer of $127.50 per share - in an all-cash transaction valued at $66 billion. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including Monsanto shareholder approval of the merger agreement and receipt of required regulatory approvals. Closing is expected by the end of 2017. Bayer intends to finance the transaction with a combination of debt and equity. If realized, the deal would create one of the world's largest seed and crop protection companies, and will undoubtedly be heavily scrutinized by federal regulators. The combined agriculture business will have its global Seeds & Traits and North American commercial headquarters in St. Louis, its global Crop Protection and overall Crop Science headquarters in Monheim, Germany, and an important presence in Durham, North Carolina, as well as many other locations throughout the U.S. and around the world. The Digital Farming activities for the combined business will be based in San Francisco.