(Bloomberg) -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is in advanced talks to acquire Qiagen NV after discussions broke off late last year, according to people familiar with the matter.
A potential deal could be announced as soon as this week, the people said, asking not to be named because the matter is private. Talks could still be delayed or fall apart, they said.
Qiagen, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, closed at $36.12 a share on Monday, giving the company a market of $8.2 billion.
If a deal proceeds, it would be one of the largest ever for Thermo Fisher, which acquired Life Technologies Corp. in 2014 for $13.6 billion. It could also be the second major transaction in the health-care sector this week following a slow start to the year. Gilead Sciences Inc. agreed to buy Forty Seven Inc. for about $4.9 billion to advance into cancer treatments.
Last year, Qiagen started exploring options soon after indicating it had gotten overtures from several possible buyers, Bloomberg News reported. Wall Street analysts were expecting Qiagen to fetch as much as $50 per share.
A deal would be a reversal for Qiagen, which announced in December that it had ended discussions with potential buyers after finding the proposals “not compelling.”
Its stock took a hit last October as Chief Executive Officer Peer Schatz announced he would step down after a 15-year run and the Dutch company slashed its forecast for quarterly sales growth.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
POPULAR