The French government is reportedly mulling plans to buy a minority stake in yoghurt maker Yoplait.
The state-backed investment fund FSI is considering entering the race for Yoplait, Reuters reported today (7 December).
Go deeper with GlobalData
The future of Yoplait has been the subject of frenzied speculation for months after private-equity shareholder PAI Partners said it wanted to sell its 50% stake in the business.
Three weeks ago, Lactalis made a EUR1.4bn (US$1.87bn) bid for the whole of Yoplait but the offer was dismissed by PAI and the yoghurt’s maker other shareholder, French dairy co-op Sodiaal, which has insisted it wants to keep its shares in the business.
General Mills, Nestle, PepsiCo, China’s Mengniu Dairy and Mexico’s Grupo Lala have also been linked to Yoplait.
See Also:
The FSI fund was set up two years ago to protect French companies from the downturn.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalData
“The FSI is looking very closely at the dossier,” a source close to the matter told Reuters.
Rumours linking the French government to Yoplait are an echo of Paris’s insistence in 2005 that yoghurt was a “strategic” industry for France amid claims that PepsiCo was considering making a bid for Danone.
The source told Reuters that the FSI fund could “participate” in the Yoplait sale with a partner.
