Swiss specialty chemicals group Clariant on Monday announced a tie-up with U.S. competitor Huntsman, a family-run listed group with headquarters in Texas, in an all-share deal that will give the shareholders of the Swiss group a 52 percent stake in the new combination. The main difference is that these two companies set their own agenda and found common ground before being faced with hostilities. They will now be out of reach of potential unwelcome suitors while the all-share transaction means they will not drop unnecessary cash for the sake of size. The two firms do not expect to have to make significant disposals for obtaining anti-trust approvals. The companies expect to wrap up the deal before the end of the year.

Source: Forbes May 22, 2017 13:07 UTC