Market talk of private equity drives Clariant’s shares to new high and also lifts Ciba’s shares Clariant, the listed Swiss specialty chemicals, saw its shares rise by almost 10% to a 52-week-high of SFr22.20 in early trading on February 13.
The jump on the traditionally stable Swiss stock exchange followed market speculation that private equity firms were looking into a takeover of a Swiss chemicals group.
Clariant currently has a market capitalisation of SFr4.6bn (US$3.5bn).
Meanwhile, Clariant’s Swiss peer Ciba also saw its shares rise, by about 3% to SFr85.60, valuing the company at SFr5.7bn (US$4.36bn).
Swiss Sunday paper SonntagsZeitung reported that a private equity house had conducted due diligence at Clariant, and named CVC Capital Partners and Permira as potential bidders.