Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER, XETRA:UT8) is in advanced talks to acquire German food-delivery company Delivery Hero (XETRA:DHER, OTCQX:DLVHF), according to a Bloomberg report, with the companies aiming to finalize a takeover agreement as soon as this week.
Shares of Delivery Hero (XETRA:DHER, OTCQX:DLVHF) rose almost 6% following the report, while Uber shares fell about 2%
A potential transaction would likely value Delivery Hero above its recent trading price of around €36 per share, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. Investors have been expecting a higher price after Uber previously approached the company with an offer of €33 per share. Uber has already built a significant stake in Delivery Hero, holding 24.99% of the company’s shares and additional derivatives that bring its total economic interest to about 36.8%.
The reported acquisition discussions follow months of stake-building by Uber as the company seeks to expand its position in the global food-delivery market. A full takeover would give Uber control of one of Europe’s largest online food-delivery platforms. Shares of Delivery Hero have added more than 71% so far this year.