Messer is preferred bidder for Linde’s U.S. assets -WiWo
FRANKFURT, July 12 (Reuters) – German gases company Messer Group is the preferred bidder for rival Linde’s North American business, which it must sell to complete its $83 billion merger with Praxair, German magazine WirtschaftsWoche reported on Thursday.
An “audit was almost complete” and the sale could take place “very soon”, WirtschaftsWoche reported citing sources close to the negotiations.
Two people familiar with the matter told Reuters that an announcement could be made this week.
Linde and Messer declined to comment.
Linde and Praxair, which supply a wide range of gases from oxygen to helium, need to sell assets to gain regulatory approval for their all-share merger which will create a global leader in the sector.
Praxair this month agreed to sell its European gases business to Japanese rival Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp for 5 billion euros ($5.84 billion).
Sources told Reuters last month that private equity firm Carlyle Group LP was in the running to buy the U.S. assets, potentially worth about $3.3 billion.
But they also said others who had been outbid, which sources previously said included a consortium of Messer and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, had been given the opportunity to improve their offers.
($1 = 0.8565 euros) (Reporting by Alexander Huebner and Arno Schuetze; writing by Caroline Copley and Maria Sheahan; editing by Jason Neely Editing by David Goodman)
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