Kraft Heinz withdraws £115bn merger bid for Unilever
US food giant Kraft Heinz has withdrawn a £115 billion bid for a mega-merger with Unilever, the firms have said.
In a joint statement on Sunday the Heinz Tomato Ketchup and Philadelphia cheese manufacturer said it had agreed not to proceed with the offer it made on Friday for the Anglo-Dutch Marmite and PG Tips maker.
Unilever had already snubbed the offer, which represented an 18% premium on its closing share price of 50 US dollars per share (£40.26) on February 16, saying it "fundamentally undervalues" the firm.
The joint statement read: "Unilever and Kraft Heinz hereby announce that Kraft Heinz has amicably agreed to withdraw its proposal for a combination of the two companies.
"Unilever and Kraft Heinz hold each other in high regard.
"Kraft Heinz has the utmost respect for the culture, strategy and leadership of Unilever."
