Amcor plc AMCR and Berry Global Group, Inc. BERY agreed to merge in an all-stock transaction, with the deal valuing Berry stock at $73.59 per share.
The deal price represents a premium of about 10% to Monday’s closing price of $67.05. As per the deal, Berry shareholders will receive 7.25 Amcor shares for each Berry share, giving Amcor and Berry shareholders 63% and 37% ownership of the combined company, respectively.
The boards of Amcor and Berry have unanimously approved the transaction, with closing targeted for mid-2025.
Post-completion, Peter Konieczny will lead the combined company as CEO, with Graeme Liebelt as Chairman and Stephen Sterrett as Deputy Chairman.
The combined entity, named Amcor plc, will retain its NYSE primary listing, ASX secondary listing, and global headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
The combined company is expected to have revenues of $24 billion and an adjusted EBITDA of $4.3 billion, including anticipated run-rate synergies.
The combined company expects annual cash flow exceeding $3 billion, supporting reinvestment, dividends, M&A, and share repurchases.
Net leverage is projected at 3.3x at closing, with plans to reduce it below 3.0x within the first year.
Amcor expects continued annual dividend growth from its current $0.51 per share base, while Berry will maintain its current dividend policy until the transaction closes.
Synergies: The companies anticipate a $650 million benefit from synergies by the end of year three, including $530 million in annual pre-tax cost savings, $60 million in financial savings, and $60 million from growth synergies.
Additionally, $280 million in one-time working capital efficiencies will offset the $280 million in pre-tax costs required to achieve these synergies.
The merger is expected to deliver over 35% adjusted cash EPS accretion and a double-digit return on investment.
It aims to enhance long-term shareholder value by increasing expected annual earnings growth from 10%-15% to 13%-18%.
Amcor CEO, Peter Konieczny, said, “This combination delivers on our strategy to accelerate growth by putting the customer first, elevating the role of sustainability and orienting the portfolio toward faster growing, higher margin categories. We will have a more complete and more sustainable product offering, supported by stronger innovation capabilities, global scale and supply chain flexibility.”
As of September 30, 2024, Amcor’s cash and cash equivalents stood at $432 million.
Price Action: AMCR shares are down 0.44% at $10.11, while BERY shares are up 3.70% at $69.53 at the last check Tuesday.
Photo via Shutterstock
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