Barr/Britvic deal - in the can?

By: James Wilmore - 31 October 2012 11:47

What's delaying AG Barr and Britvic cracking open the (non-alcoholic) fizzy stuff and announcing formally they will join together in corporate matrimony?

The two groups revealed today they have been granted a second extension to continue their talks over a tie-up.

According to a previous report, the final detail choking up the deal was deciding on a name for the merged company. 'Barr Britvic' and 'Britvic Barr' are the two suggested candidates. But surely such a relatively trivial issue is not still delaying them?

A source close to the situation pooh-poohed this idea. "It's a simple fact that these things just take time," the insider told me. They also flagged that when the initial announcement was made this was at a "very early stage" and the talks have gone from "preliminary" to "advanced".

One analyst thinks it could be the "conservative" and "pragmatic nature" of Barr's board, set against Britvic's slightly sticky situation. This seems a more likely reason.

The Times' leisure and drinks correspondent, Dominic Walsh suggests the deal is nearly there and "all over Barr the shouting".

Only another month, or less, to wait.

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