WHITEWAVE acquired by DANONE
Context
Danone has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire The WhiteWave Foods Company in an all-cash transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, Danone will acquire all outstanding shares of WhiteWave for $56.25 per share. The transaction is fully funded through debt, with Danone confident in maintaining its strong investment-grade credit rating. This strategic combination doubles the size of Danone's US business and positions the company as the global leader in organic foods and fresh dairy products. The deal is expected to deliver $300 million in EBIT synergies by 2020 and be accretive to earnings in the first year.
WHITEWAVE, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2015, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, representing a LOGIN to the average currently observed in the AgriFood sector (10.9x).
Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.
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Target
Headquartered in Colorado, WhiteWave Foods is a leading health-focused food company in North America and Europe. It is a pioneer in the plant-based category (soy, almond, coconut beverages) and organic dairy. Its portfolio includes iconic high-growth brands such as Silk (plant-based beverages), Horizon Organic (premium organic dairy), So Delicious, Alpro (European plant-based leader), and Wallaby (organic yogurt). The company was spun off from Dean Foods in 2012 and has since demonstrated double-digit growth driven by the consumer shift toward healthier, sustainable, and alternative nutrition.
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Historical Financials (USD)
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REFERENCES
Valuation range: EV 3b - 100b USD
Revenue range: 2.5b - 5b USD
EBITDA range: 450M - 900M USD
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Authors: verified mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).
Acquirer: danone