Amcor-Berry Merger Gets U.S Antitrust Clearance, Set to Close Mid-2025

Amcor plc AMCR announced that its previously announced merger deal with Berry Global Group, Inc. BERY has cleared another significant step with the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act). Necessary approvals have been received from regulatory authorities in recent weeks, which included antitrust clearances from China and Brazil. Earlier this month, Amcor announced that the shareholders of both companies have approved the combination. The AMCR-BERY deal is expected to close in mid-2025, subject to some other closing conditions.AMCR & BERY to Form Consumer & Healthcare Packaging LeaderIn November 2024, Amcor announced that it had entered a definitive merger agreement with Berry Global. It will create a global leader in consumer packaging solutions with remarkable innovation capabilities and scale.The deal will bring together two highly complementary businesses, combining Amcor's global flexibles and regional containers businesses with Berry Global's regional flexibles and global containers and closures businesses.Customers will get a broader, flexible film and converted film offering, as well as more sustainable solutions that promote circularity and reduce carbon footprint. Flexibles will account for around 60%. The merged company will have a scaled containers and closures business (around 40%) and a unique global healthcare portfolio. The combined entity will have a strengthened position in high-growth, high-value categories, including Healthcare, Protein, Pet Food, Liquids, Beauty &  Personal Care and Food Service. Amcor-Berry Global Merger Offers Strong Financial ProfileBerry Global’s shareholders will receive 7.25 Amcor shares for each BERY share held upon closing. AMCR will hold approximately 63% of the combined company, whereas Berry Global will own 37%.The companies will have combined revenues of $24 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $4.3 billion. Annual combined cash flow is projected at more than $3 billion. The combined entity will service customers in more than 140 countries through around 400 production facilities.AMCR estimates $650 million in benefits from identified costs, growth and financial synergies by the end of the third year of closing. The companies expect an additional $280 million of one-time cash benefits from working capital efficiencies, which will offset $280 million of pre-tax costs to achieve synergies. The deal offers 35% adjusted cash earnings per share accretion and double-digit return on investments.AMCR anticipates a net leverage of 3.3X at the closure of the transaction, with a path to de-leverage below 3.0X during the first full year.M&A Picks Up Pace in the Packaging IndustryThe Amcor and Berry Global deal will combine two noteworthy players in the Zacks Containers - Paper and Packaging industry. The packaging industry has seen significant consolidation in the last year. This includes the merger agreement between Novolex and Pactiv Evergreen Inc. PTVE inked in December 2024. This combination will create a leading manufacturer in food, beverage and specialty packaging products.The Novolex and Pactiv Evergreen combination will have more than 250 brands and 39,000 combined SKUs. This will be one of the most diverse substrate sets in the packaging industry, including multiple types of fiber, resin and post-consumer recycled content. The deal is expected to close by mid-2025.Another major deal in the paper packaging industry was the merger of WestRock Company and Smurfit Kappa Group Plc. forming Smurfit Westrock Plc SW in July 2024. This created a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging, operating in 40 countries with more than 500 packaging converting operations and 62 paper mills.Smurfit Westrock offers an unmatched portfolio of innovative packaging solutions, ranging from corrugated and consumer packaging to Bag-in-Box packaging and point-of-sale displays.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Berry Global Group, Inc. (BERY): Free Stock Analysis Report Amcor PLC (AMCR): Free Stock Analysis Report Pactiv Evergreen Inc. (PTVE): Free Stock Analysis Report Smurfit Westrock PLC (SW): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks