This photo taken on September 13, 2024 shows a woman walking past a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo. In Japan more is at stake than money in the mammoth takeover battle for 7-Eleven, the world's biggest convenience chain, by Canadian retail giant Alimentation Couche-Tard. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has made a fresh overture to Seven & i Holdings as the Canadian owner of Circle-K seeks to acquire the Japanese parent of 7-Eleven.
If the US$47-billion figure is correct, that would imply a price of more than US$18 per share. The initial all-cash offer was for US$14.86 per share. Seven & i shares gained 4.7 per cent during the Wednesday trading session on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, ending the day worth US$15.70 apiece. The company also has long-standing relationships with major pension funds and institutional shareholders, including the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which owns roughly 3.5 per cent of Couche-Tard. It is widely expected that several large existing investors would play a key role in any major stock sale Couche-Tard would need to complete in order to finance a potential transaction.
Analysts estimate the Canadian company would need to sell at least 1,000 locations in the U.S. in order to satisfy American regulatory concerns over Circle K and 7-Eleven joining forces.” the company and said it was better positioned to maximize shareholder value as a standalone company. Investors will be watching closely for evidence to support that claim on Thursday, when the company is due to release its latest quarterly results.