SMH reported:
At least two takeover bids for private hospital and pathology company Healthscope are believed to have been forwarded to the company's board overnight, placing dueling private equity firms Texas Pacific Group and the Carlyle Group in the lead position to buy the listed healthcare company for about $1.85 billion.Bidders expect a response by Monday. That doesn't give the board much time to run diagnostics.
The board of Healthscope will meet this weekend to discuss the bids, as well as an expected $1.84 billion offer from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and whether or not to allow the takeover proposals to be put to shareholders for their blessing.
Which American branded, global private equity underwriter (PEU) will win? Surely there's a derivative bet on it.
Update: Carlyle/TPG will be designated the preferred PEU bidder according to Bloomberg.