France's Lactalis launches bid for Egypt's Arab Dairy

Wednesday 19-11-2014 12:28 PM
France's Lactalis launches bid for Egypt's Arab Dairy
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CAIRO, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest dairy group Lactalis has offered to acquire Egypt's Arab Dairy Products for 66 Egyptian pounds ($9.2) per share, topping at least two rival bids made this month, the Egyptian cheesemaker said.

Arab Dairy said as part of a stock market disclosure on Tuesday that the bid was for all of the cheesemaker but was subject to due diligence.

Arab Dairy will decide whether to proceed with the offer at a board meeting on Nov. 23.

The offer letter, disclosed by Arab Dairy, shows that the bid was made by Al-Nour for Dairy Industries, Best of France for Dairy Products and Best Cheese Company for Dairy Products, owned by Lactalis and Egyptian businessman Mohamed Nabil Halawa.

The Lactalis bid is far higher than an offer of 57.12 pounds per share made by Saudi Arabia's Arrow Food this month and another offer of 56 pounds from financial firm Pioneer Holdings .

(1 U.S. dollar = 7.1500 Egyptian pound) (Reporting by Lin Noueihed; editing by Jason Neely)

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