Photo: ReutersBayer AG sweetened its takeover bid for Monsanto Co. a second time as the German chemical company said it’s in advanced talks to snare the US seed giant in what would be the largest agriculture-related takeover. The new offer is 2% more than Bayer’s previous bid and 19% above St. Louis-based Monsanto’s last closing price. Analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein have previously said Monsanto may decide to sell if Bayer raises its offer to $135 a share. Global consolidationMonsanto called off its Syngenta bid last year, while more recently it has revived talks to buy BASF SE’s agrochemicals unit. Buying Monsanto would give Bayer a company that’s both the world’s largest seed supplier and a pioneer of crop biotechnology.

Source: Mint September 06, 2016 03:33 UTC