The Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant may have seen off their $143 billion effort to buy the maker of Magnum ice-cream and add slot it into their Kraft Heinz Co. operation. He must work on the assumption Kraft Heinz will want to come back. Under UK takeover rules, Kraft Heinz is now precluded from making a bid for six months—unless Unilever agrees, or another bidder buts the company in play. Kraft Heinz had already raised the bar on profitability in the consumer industry: its operating margins put those of Unilever in the shade. A better prepared Kraft Heinz, dangling a fatter offer with more cash, could yet push Unilever’s investors to pressure their board to talk about a deal.

Source: Mint February 20, 2017 03:45 UTC