ZURICH--U.S. healthcare group Danaher Corp. said Monday it will
acquire Swiss dental-implant maker Nobel Biocare Holding AG in a
cash deal worth about $2.1 billion, to strengthen its position in
the dental market.
Danaher said it will pay 17.10 Swiss francs ($18.20) a share in
a transaction expected to close by late 2014 or early 2015. Danaher
said Nobel Biocare's board is recommending shareholders accept the
offer, and that the Swiss company would operate as a stand-alone
business within its dental platform.
The purchase comes amid a quickening of deal-making in the
medical-device sector. In June, medical-device maker Medtronic Inc.
agreed to acquire rival Covidien PLC in a deal valued at almost $43
billion. In April, Zimmer Holdings Inc. and Biomet Inc., both
makers of surgical implants, agreed to a $13.35 billion
cash-and-stock deal.
Nobel Biocare has a market capitalization of about 1.7 billion
francs. In 2013, the company had net profit attributable to
shareholders of EUR42.6 million ($57.2 million) on revenue of
EUR566.8 million.
Write to Neil MacLucas at neil.maclucas@wsj.com
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