Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — U.S. railway operator Kansas City Southern said Thursday it had accepted Canadian National Railway’s $33.6 billion acquisition offer, upending a $29 billion deal with its competitor Canadian Pacific Railway. The development, first reported by Reuters, gives CP five business days to make a new offer for Kansas City Southern. Were CP to table […] Read more
Kansas City Southern accepts new CN bid over CP’s
CN offers to cover KCS's breakup fee with CP
Canadian cannabis retailers poised to merge
High Tide, Meta Growth to create biggest weed retailer
Reading Time: 2 minutes Two major Canadian cannabis sellers are poised to create the largest pot retailer in the country by revenue. Calgary retailer High Tide Inc., which operates the Canna Cabana chain of stores in three provinces, announced a merger deal Friday to take up Toronto-based Meta Growth Corp., which runs the Meta Cannabis and NewLeaf Cannabis chains. […] Read more
U.S. investor to buy Prairie canola ‘streaming’ firm
All-cash deal offers $97.5 million for Input Capital
Reading Time: 3 minutes A U.S. investor has stepped forward with an all-cash bid for the Regina company that brought “streaming” to the Prairie canola marketing business. Input Capital, which in February last year began to review options such as a sale or merger to “enhance shareholder value,” said Wednesday it has a deal to sell all of itself […] Read more
Cannabis industry readies for M+A after COVID-19 boosts weed demand
Companies betting on U.S. market growth after election
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — After nearly a year of next-to-no dealmaking, cannabis companies are gearing up for mergers and acquisitions (M+A) as realistic stock valuations and the prospect of U.S. legalization attract buyers to a sector that has been decimated by oversupply and other issues, executives and investors say. Profitable cannabis companies want to buy their way […] Read more
ADM says to focus on organic growth after acquisitions
Reading Time: < 1 minute Geneva | Reuters — Grain trader Archer Daniels Midland does not expect to continue its aggressive strategy of acquisitions in the next few years and will instead focus on organic growth, a senior official said on Wednesday. “With this level of acquisitions we have had, I don’t think you will see ADM being a very […] Read more
Grain trade regional tie-ups seen more likely over mega-deals
Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — The agricultural trading industry can expect more consolidation at a regional level in an effort to improve margins, but big deals between global merchants are becoming more difficult, Louis Dreyfus’ CEO said. Merchants have been grappling with lower profits from sourcing and shipping commodities such as grain and oilseeds, prompting cutbacks […] Read more
Input Capital to consider company sale, merger, cannabis
Reading Time: 2 minutes Possible options including a sale, merger or moving into the cannabis business are now on the table for “commodity streaming” canola firm Input Capital Corp. Regina-based Input, which trades publicly on the TSX Venture Exchange, announced Wednesday its board has launched a “comprehensive review of strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value.” The review, which will […] Read more
Bayer cuts Monsanto synergy target on divestments
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bonn | Reuters — Bayer said positive synergy effects from the planned takeover of U.S. seeds and chemical firm Monsanto would be about US$300 million below its previous target because it will sell more businesses than initially expected to get antitrust approval. Bayer CEO Werner Baumann again threw his weight behind the deal, despite higher […] Read more
Singapore firm hikes Bayer stake in share sale
Reading Time: 2 minutes Frankfurt | Reuters — German drugmaker Bayer is raising three billion euros (C$4.67 billion) toward its planned US$62.5 billion takeover of seed and chemical firm Monsanto by selling a 3.6 per cent stake to Singapore’s state investment company Temasek. Bayer said it had struck a deal with Temasek under which it would issue shares with […] Read more
Arysta plans market expansion in Western Canada
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — Arysta LifeScience, a crop chemical company known in Western Canada for its line of Everest products, now wants to become a household name for Prairie farmers. Platform Specialty Products, Arysta’s parent company, last Aug. 24 announced plans to separate its agricultural solutions and performance solutions segments. Platform Specialty chairman Martin Franklin said […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
