Reading Time: < 1 minute Beijing | Reuters — Bayer on Tuesday secured conditional approval from China’s commerce ministry for its planned acquisition of the world No. 1 seed company Monsanto, chalking up a victory in an onerous struggle to win over watchdogs across the globe. The ministry also ordered the German drug and crop chemicals maker to spin off […] Read more
China conditionally approves Bayer’s Monsanto deal
Grain company hunt goes on for Glencore
Reading Time: 2 minutes Geneva | Reuters — Commodities giant Glencore has made unsuccessful moves for three or four smaller targets in the grain sector this year as it seeks acquisitions to grow upstream, the head of its agricultural arm said. “We have looked at three or four possibilities in our core area already this year but couldn’t reach […] Read more
Glencore seen paying up to US$6 billion in possible Bunge deal
Reading Time: < 1 minute London | Reuters –– Miner and trader Glencore may pay up to US$6 billion in cash in a possible tie-up with U.S. grains trader Bunge based on current valuations, Moody’s ratings agency said on Friday, but said it did not expect an outright acquisition. Glencore said this week it had made an informal approach to […] Read more
Glencore looking to expand agriculture business, CEO says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cham, Switzerland | Reuters –– Miner and trader Glencore is looking to expand its agriculture business via its partnership with two Canadian funds, the company’s CEO said on Wednesday, but has no plans to move into any commodities it does not already trade. CEO Ivan Glasenberg was speaking a day after U.S. grains trader Bunge […] Read more
Glencore ready for deals and dividends after profit boost
Reading Time: 2 minutes London | Reuters –– Commodities trader and miner Glencore reported an 18 per cent rise in full-year profit on Thursday, buoyed by a rebound in raw materials prices, and said it was well-placed financially for small acquisitions or a special dividend payout. Analysts said the results beat expectations, driving the share price nearly two per […] Read more
Cash-rich Maple Leaf sees abundant U.S. opportunities
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Canadian meat packing company Maple Leaf Foods is hunting for acquisitions in the U.S., after years spent upgrading old factories and shedding business lines, its CEO said on Wednesday. Maple Leaf, which reported on Wednesday its profits doubled in the fourth quarter, sees growth opportunities from meat produced humanely and without antibiotics, and […] Read more
Monsanto reported giving Bayer limited access to its books
Reading Time: < 1 minute Frankfurt | Reuters — U.S. seed company Monsanto has given German suitor Bayer limited access to its books after turning down a sweetened US$64 billion takeover offer last month, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. The parties have not yet signed a non-disclosure agreement, which would allow Bayer to conduct due diligence, but […] Read more
Agrium sees opportunities from major merger talk
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Agrium, North America’s largest retail seller of products for crop producers, could benefit if some of the biggest makers of seed and agricultural chemicals merge, CEO Chuck Magro said on Wednesday. Responding to a question during a company investor day in Toronto about how possible tie-ups of ChemChina and Syngenta, or of Bayer […] Read more
Monsanto cools on large-scale M+A outlook
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Monsanto on Wednesday effectively pulled itself out of the mergers-and-acquisitions flurry in the seeds and agrochemicals industry, nearly a year after making a bid for rival Syngenta. The St. Louis-based company, which also reported a drop in second-quarter earnings, now sees its best dealmaking opportunities in smaller acquisitions, licensing deals and […] Read more
Mosaic looks for bargain buys as fertilizer sector slumps
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — U.S. fertilizer company Mosaic Co., grappling with falling prices and profits, is looking for acquisitions that could be bargain-priced in a weak commodity sector. The world’s largest producer of finished phosphate products on Thursday forecast lower selling prices for potash and phosphate in the current quarter. The Plymouth, Minn.-based company also reported fourth-quarter […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
