Reuters’ Martinne Geller writes: The $23 billion buyout of
H.J. Heinz by Warren Buffett and private equity put food executives on notice:
start showing better results or risk being left behind. The deal, and the ripples
it creates in the sector, was the buzz of the consumer industry's annual
get-together in Florida this week, sponsored by the Consumer Analyst Group of
New York.
In private discussions overlooking a yacht-filled marina or
in the hallway between the Nespresso table and the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine,
the consensus among executives, analysts and investors was clear: gear up for a
new era of belt-tightening, if not more acquisitions and divestitures, in the
sector.
"This is the first large deal in years by a financial
buyer that calls out the lackluster fundamentals in the U.S. packaged food
space," said Robert Dickerson, an analyst with boutique firm Consumer Edge
Research….
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