Keurig Green Mountain Agrees To Be Taken Private In $13.9 Billion Deal

Keurig Green Mountain Inc, the maker of K-Cup single-serve coffee pods, said it would be bought by an investor group led by Germany's JAB Holding Co (JAB) for about $13.9 billion. The $92.00 per share cash offer represents a 78 percent premium to Keurig's Friday close.

Coca-Cola Co, Keurig's biggest single shareholder, said it was supportive of the deal. As of Dec. 6, Coke had a 17.4 percent stake in the Vermont-based company.

Investment group JAB, owned by the billionaire Reimann family, has a controlling stake in consumer products companies including cosmetics maker Coty Inc, shoemaker Jimmy Choo and coffee company Jacobs Douwe Egberts.

JAB is acquiring Keurig in partnership with investors who are already shareholders in Jacobs Douwe Egberts, including Mondelez International Inc and entities affiliated with BDT Capital Partners.

BofA Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse provided fairness opinions to Keurig Green Mountain.

Shares of the company were halted. They closed at $51.70 on Friday.

Last month Keurig posted a drop in net income for its fiscal fourth quarter, but topped earnings per share and revenue estimates, as the company sought to cut costs and rebound from recent sales declines of its pods and brewers. Keurig said in August that it expects to reduce its workforce by about 5 percent in an effort to cut costs.