Univar (UNVR) Closes Buyout of Turkish Distributor Kale Kimya
Univar Solutions Inc. UNVR announced the completion of its acquisition of Turkish specialty chemicals distributor Kale Kimya. It is a well-known regional specialty chemicals distributor in the Beauty & Personal Care, and Home and Industrial Cleaning markets.
Univar's investment in Kale Kimya expands the company's existing specialty footprint in Turkey and contributes to the company's goal of becoming a major specialty chemical distributor in the EMEA area.
This acquisition expands Univar's supplier and client relationships, improves its portfolio, and expands its services in the Life Sciences and Industrial Solutions verticals. This is a key step in remaining at the forefront of shifting market trends as well as evolving customer demands, UNVR noted.
Shares of the company have gained 10.2% over the past year against the 10.4% decline of its industry.
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Univar, in March 2023, agreed to be acquired by Apollo Funds in an all-cash transaction valued at $8.1 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2023, subject to UNVR shareholders’ approval and regulatory clearances. The company, on its first-quarter call, did not provide guidance due to the pending merger transaction.
Univar noted that it remains focused on delivering its business strategy and leveraging its global strengths in ingredients and specialties.
Univar Solutions Inc. Price and Consensus
Univar Solutions Inc. price-consensus-chart | Univar Solutions Inc. Quote
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Better-ranked stocks to consider in the basic materials space include Koppers Holdings Inc. KOP, Gold Fields Limited GFI and Linde plc LIN, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Koppers’ current-year earnings is currently pegged at $4.40, implying year-over-year growth of 6.3%. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of roughly 13.64%, on average. Shares of KOP have gained 9.4% in a year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Gold Fields’ current-year earnings has been revised 23.5% upward in the past 60 days. The consensus estimate for current-year earnings for GFI is currently pegged at $1.05, indicating year-over-year growth of 8.3%. The company’s shares have popped 64% in the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Linde’s current-year earnings has been revised 3.8% upward in the past 60 days. LIN beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the last four quarters. It delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 6.9%, on average. The company’s shares have gained 8.2% in the past year.
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