Reports are suggesting Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is the front-runner to clinch a £300M deal to take the UK-based mid-market retailer private.
Not that any deal is assured and one weekend report also said ABG may pull its bid and spend its cash elsewhere.
Juicy Couture owner ABG has been sweeping up brands in recent years and its most recent mega-deals include buying Reebok, striking a New Guards deal for the brand, and buying control of David Beckham’s DB Ventures.
The company had been suggested as a possible Ted Baker bidder only last month and Sky News reported that it indicated it’s prepared to pay more than 150p a share for the business.
Ted Baker’s shares were trading at less than 140p each on Monday morning, which was higher than Friday’s close but still short of ABG’s reported price level. That means it’s currently valued at just over £255M.
That’s a lot higher than as recently as February when the shares changed hands for only around 80p each, but much, much lower than their all-time high in late 2015 when each share would set an investor back almost £29.
With ABG valued at almost $13bn, Ted Baker would be a relatively small acquisition for it compared to one such as Reebok, which cost over €2bn.
