M&A: Bayer turns white knight once again

Bayer has played white knight for the second time this year. The German chemicals company rescued Schering from the clutches of Merck in March with a €16.5 billion offer

It followed this up last month with another rescue exercise, effectively saving the euro corporate market from a reputation for botched M&A deals it has so far developed in 2006, with a well-received and well-executed €3 billion multi-tranche deal despite soft market conditions. The success of this issue was in marked contrast to the year’s other jumbo M&A related deal for Telefónica (see Euromoney, February 2006, page 18).

More generally, it has been a poor year for corporates refinancing M&A transactions in the euro market.

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