Kraft Foods’s reneging on a decision to keep a Cadbury factory near Bristol in the UK open will result in the loss of 400 jobs and has drawn criticism from politicians and unions alike.
Kraft’s takeover of UK chocolate firm Cadbury is now unconditional, as 74 per cent of Cadbury shareholders yesterday accepted the offer of 840p per share plus a 10p dividend.
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated, quipped Mark Twain. Predictions of the demise of Cadbury following the approval of Kraft’s offer are premature and are flawed by knee-jerk anti-Americanism.
Kraft will not face competition from Hershey to buy UK confectionery company Cadbury, it is confirmed today. But a major Kraft shareholder has come out in opposition to this week’s raised bid.
Kraft is the overall winner in the battle for UK confectioner Cadbury, and it looks like the US food group has netted a bargain in the final price, claim US analysts Bernstein Research.
Cadbury shares rose today on the back of media report that indicated that US chocolate maker, Hershey’s could be set to make a counter-bid for the UK confectioner, already the focus of a hostile bid from Kraft Foods.
US based market analyst firm Bernstein Research claims that there is more value for Cadbury shareholders in the UK confectionery giant remaining a standalone company should a higher bid from Kraft does not materialise.
The difference between British and continental European chocolate preferences means the acquisition of Cadbury by Kraft would not present competition problems, the European Commission has said, as long as Cadbury’s concerns in Poland and Romania were...
Kraft’s largest shareholder Berkshire Hathaway, run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, has voted against the issuance of up to 370m shares to acquire Cadbury, it said on Tuesday.
Kraft has sold its frozen pizza business to Nestlé to help fund its offer for Cadbury after Nestlé pulled out of the bidding for the British confectioner.
Streamlining of its packaging purchasing is one of the ways that confectionery giant Cadbury hopes to tighten margins in its strategy to stave off a take over from Kraft.
The globe’s two biggest food firms, Nestlé and Kraft, have launched internal investigations after a Greenpeace report claimed both purchase palm oil from Indonesian company PT Smart whose parent group Sinar Mas allegedly engages in widespread illegal...
Kraft has dismissed the raised long-term growth targets published by Cadbury on Monday, saying the UK confectioner’s prospects are subject to significant risk and uncertainty.
Cadbury’s updated statement on revenue growth for the next four years should incentivise its shareholders to hold out for a higher offer than the bid from Kraft Foods or remain independent, according to market research firm Sanford C Bernstein.
British and Irish workers at Cadbury have announced a campaign to resist Kraft’s hostile ₤9.8bn ($16.3bn) takeover bid by appealing to shareholders and politicians to block the deal.
Kraft has mismanaged its Cadbury takeover attempt but is still the favorite to get the deal done, according to Andrew Wood, senior research analyst at Sanford Bernstein.
Hershey has confirmed that it is “reviewing its options” regarding a possible joint bid with Ferrero for British confectioner Cadbury, following media speculation about talks yesterday.
Even if Kraft intends to increase its bid for Cadbury, its latest offer has probably managed to upset both the board and shareholders, says Andrew Wood, senior research analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.
Confectionery giant Cadbury is playing up its sustainability initiatives in its seasonal packaging to appeal to consumer demand for a 'green' Christmas.
Kraft Foods said its premium dark chocolate range is the first to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, showing it contains cocoa from farms that meet the sustainability standard.
One of the leading investors in Cadbury has revealed he would consider a bid from Kraft if it were in the region of 820p per share, according to recent media reports.
Kraft may look to sell its brand Maxwell House to generate a higher offer to Cadbury, the world's second largest confectionery group, claim media reports.
Drinks or high sugar-containing chocolate may be the best formulations for boosting antioxidant levels in the blood, suggests a new study from Kraft Foods.
Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer told a fair trade conference in London on Thursday that taking away its “principled capitalism” would destroy Cadbury’s appeal, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
Cadbury has given a confident presentation of its stand-alone strategy in the midst of speculation that the company is unlikely to hold onto its independence following Kraft’s failed take-over bid.
Kraft Foods is slashing its supply chain costs by $300m - a decision that Leatherhead Food International predicts will dramatically affect suppliers and could result in casualties.
Packaging firms across Europe would be “dramatically affected” by Kraft Foods’ decision to slash supplier numbers, with the move causing potential casualties in the sector, according to Leatherhead Food International.
Kraft Foods has defended its valuation of the Cadbury business and insisted that it remains the most logical buyer for the UK confectionery manufacturer.
Kraft Foods has confirmed it has had an initial takeover bid for Cadbury rejected but said it intends to work towards a deal that would create a $50bn food industry powerhouse.
Cadbury has pledged to achieve Fair Trade certification for its Dairy Milk bars in Canada after successfully making the Fair Trade transition in Britain and Ireland.
The need to maximise profit combined with a desire to help the environment have been major drivers in Kraft slashing water use in its food processing operations by more than 20 per cent in three years, the company said.
Chewing gum used to be the hot performer for Cadbury but sales have dropped well below chocolate. Bernstein Research now expects the downward trend to be reversed.
Cadbury launched its Fairtrade-certified Dairy Milk chocolate bars yesterday, making it the first mass market chocolate to gain certification from the Fairtrade Foundation.