Cigarettes of Gitanes and Gauloises brands are to be sold for 22 billion dollars

British company “Imperial Tobacco” that possesses such cigarette brands like Davidoff and west negotiates about acquisition of it European competitor “Altadis”. Company “Altadis” holds Gitanes and Gauloises cigarette brands.

Evaluated sum of the deal is said to be about 22,4 billion dollars. British company has started negotiations in March 2007. But European company wasn’t satisfied with price – 15 billion dollars and “Altadis” refused this offer. After that, sum was increased up to 16, 1 billion dollars.

But, even this sum didn’t satisfy the company.
But despite that the third sum variant has satisfied committee of directors they announced that they will support fusion with Imperial Tobacco until other profitable offer appears.

British Imperial Tobacco is the fourth world biggest manufacturer of cigarettes. The company dominates on the British market and occupies second place on the German market.

Altadis Company, in its turn, is number one world cigar manufacturer and major cigarettes manufacturer in Morocco and second largest manufacturer in Spain and France.

The companies’ alliance will permit them to catch up to their principle competitors – Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco which has formed huge coalition previously.

Imperial Tobacco’s shares has jumped from 1,6 percents up to 22,45 percents of pounds at London Stock Exchange this morning