UK competition watchdog clears Carlsberg's $4.23 bln acquisition of Britvic (updated)
17/12/2024 07:32
(Adds background in paragraphs 2 and 3, Carlsberg & Britvic
response in paragraph 4)
Dec 17 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator
cleared Carlsberg's CARLb.CO deal with soft drinks maker
Britvic BVIC.L on Tuesday, saying it would not refer the $4.23
billion transaction for an in-depth probe.
Carlsberg struck a deal to acquire the British soft drinks
maker in July, aiming to establish a UK beverage "powerhouse".
The deal, which is expected to close on Jan. 16, will see
the Danish brewer taking over Britvic's bottling agreement with
PepsiCo PEP.O . Carlsberg already bottles PepsiCo drinks in
several markets and sees potential to expand into additional
geographies in the future.
Carlsberg and Britvic said in a separate joint statement
that all regulatory conditions have been satisfied, including
clearances from the European Commission and the UK's Competition
and Markets Authority.
(Reporting by Prerna Bedi and Aby Jose Koilparambil in
Bengaluru; Editing by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan)
((Prerna.Bedi@thomsonreuters.com; +91 98052 24616;))