Danaher to acquire Beckman Coulter for US$6.8 billion

The spate of acquisitions continues, this time with US-based technology manufacturer and distributor, Danaher, acquiring biomedical technology company, Beckman Coulter for US$6.8 billion.

The companies entered into a definitive agreement whereby Danaher will pay cash to acquire all outstanding common stock of Beckman Coulter at a price of $83.50 per share.

The Beckman Coulter Board of Directors has unanimously recommended that Beckman Coulter shareholders accept and tender their shares into the offer, which represents a premium of approximately 45% to Beckman Coulter’s closing price on December 9, 2010.

The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2011, subject to the usual regulatory oversight.

Beckman Coulter develops and manufactures products for the biomedical testing industry, and has annual revenues of around US$3.7 billion.

It will be folded in to Danaher’s Life Sciences & Diagnostics segment, joining Danaher’s Leica, AB Sciex, Radiometer and Molecular Devices businesses.