European molecular testing leader Qiagen (QGEN.US) accepts EQT acquisition offer: 46.50 per share, a 40.3% premium to its July share price.

Qiagen (QGEN.US) said on Thursday it has agreed to accept a all-cash public takeover offer from private equity firm EQT, in a deal that values the European molecular testing company at about 10.8 billion. Sweden-headquartered EQT will acquire all outstanding Qiagen shares at 46.50 per share through its holding company Crown NL Bidco. The price represents a 40.3% premium to Qiagen's closing price of 33.15 per share on the Frankfurt XETRA exchange on July 8, 2026 the last trading day before reports of private equity takeover interest emerged in the market; it also represents a 46.9% premium to the three-month volume-weighted average price on XETRA of 31.66 per share for the period ended July 8, 2026 (inclusive). In pre-market trading, Qiagen shares rose nearly 1%. The company's board has unanimously approved the transaction. As part of the transaction, EQT has agreed to support Qiagen's long-term development, including commitments regarding the company's strategy, business, core brands, operational footprint and R&D activities. The transaction is currently expected to close in mid-2027. The two companies said that if the transaction fails to close within 10 months of the announcement date because required regulatory approvals have still not been obtained, Qiagen may elect to pay shareholders a special interim dividend of up to $0.47 per share; they added that any such interim dividend will not be deducted from the offer price. Qiagen said in March this year that it was working with Moelis & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. to evaluate its strategic options. In August 2020, Thermo Fisher (TMO.US) abandoned its 43.00-per-share takeover offer for the diagnostic testing manufacturer. Thermo Fisher initially announced in March 2020 a deal to acquire Qiagen at 39 per share, and later raised the offer after institutional investors objected over the price. Earlier this week, Qiagen also disclosed preliminary third-quarter revenue figures, with net sales reaching $548 million. It is understood that Qiagen is a global molecular testing leader that originated in the Netherlands, focusing on nucleic acid sample preparation, pathogen testing, NGS companion reagents and automated instruments. Its business spans clinical diagnostics and the research market, and it is also a core consumables and equipment supplier in the global life sciences industry chain.