UK: Carlsberg completes acquisition of Britvic PLC

Britvic PLC has officially become a part of Carlsberg UK Holdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carlsberg A/S, following the completion of a scheme of arrangement. Shareholders of Britvic on the register at 6:00 p.m. on Monday will receive 1,315 pence per share, comprising 1,290 pence in cash and a special dividend of 25 pence. The special dividend is scheduled to be paid by Britvic by January 30, 2025, Investing.com reported on January 16.

The acquisition, first announced on July 8, 2024, and later confirmed to meet all regulatory conditions on December 17, 2024, was sanctioned by the Court on January 15, 2025. With the Court Order delivered to the Registrar of Companies, the scheme has now taken effect as of today.

Consequently, the listing of Britvic shares on the Official List and trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market were suspended as of 7:30 a.m. on Friday, with the cancellation expected to be finalized by the same time on January 20, 2025. The Britvic ADS Programme and the listing of Britvic ADRs on OTCQX are also set to be terminated promptly following the scheme's effectiveness.

Settlement of the cash consideration and the special dividend to Britvic shareholders will be carried out by January 30, 2025, with payments being made either through cheques, electronic transfers, or through CREST, where applicable.

The completion of this acquisition marks the integration of Britvic into Carlsberg's portfolio, with the entire issued ordinary share capital of Britvic now owned by Carlsberg. This transaction is based on a press release statement and represents a significant development in the beverage industry, as it sees the union of two established companies.