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Exclusive: Hitachi set to win EU okay for $1.8 bln Thales deal, sources say


Logo of Hitachi is seen in Zurich

The logo of Hitachi is seen at an office building in Zurich, Switzerland September 10, 2020. Picture taken September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) – Hitachi (6501.T) is set to win EU antitrust approval for its 1.7-billion-euro ($1.8 billion) acquisition of Thales’ (TCFP.PA) GTS railway signalling business on the condition it sells assets in France and Germany, three people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Hitachi submitted its offer to sell its mainline signalling business in France and Germany to the European Commission last month.

The EU competition watchdog and Hitachi declined to comment.

The watchdog is scheduled to decide on the deal by Nov. 6.

The UK’s competition agency cleared the deal this month after Hitachi pledged to sell its mainline signalling business in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

The deal was first announced in August 2021.

($1 = 0.9478 euros)

Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Mark Potter and Jason Neely

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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An agenda-setting and market-moving journalist, Foo Yun Chee is a 20-year veteran at Reuters. Her stories on high profile mergers have pushed up the European telecoms index, lifted companies’ shares and helped investors decide on their move. Her knowledge and experience of European antitrust laws and developments helped her broke stories on Microsoft, Google, Amazon, numerous market-moving mergers and antitrust investigations. She has previously reported on Greek politics and companies, when Greece’s entry into the eurozone meant it punched above its weight on the international stage, as well as Dutch corporate giants and the quirks of Dutch society and culture that never fail to charm readers.



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