KKR & Co. is considering a counteroffer for Zooplus AG, in another potential challenge to Hellman & Friedman’s 2.8 billion-euro ($3.3 billion) bid for the German online pet supply retailer, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The New York-based buyout firm has held talks with Zooplus about a potential deal, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.
Shares of Zooplus jumped as much as 4.6% in Tuesday trading to hit a record high. They were up 2.6% to 432.40 euros at 1:32 p.m. in Frankfurt, giving the company a market value of 3.1 billion euros.
Zooplus said last week that EQT AB is in discussions about a potential takeover bid, confirming a Bloomberg News report on the European private equity firm’s interest. In August, Hellman & Friedman offered to buy Zooplus for 390 euros per share in cash in a deal backed by the company’s management and supervisory boards.
Source: Bloomberg
By Eyk Henning and Jan-Henrik Foerster
