Shelly Group shares jump 4% on Schneider Electric takeover bid

On Thursday, Shelly Group's shares experienced a 4% increase following the Bulgarian smart-home device maker's announcement of a voluntary public takeover offer from Schneider Electric. The offer, priced at €70 per share, represents a 4% premium above Wednesday's price and values the company at around €1.27 billion, as reported by Bloomberg.

The investment agreement stipulates that an indirectly wholly-owned Schneider subsidiary will initiate the offer, provided it secures at least 95% of Shelly's outstanding shares and obtains necessary regulatory clearances. As of now, the offer has not been registered with Bulgaria's Financial Supervision Commission, which reserves the right to suspend or prohibit its publication.

Shelly's board expressed preliminary support for the offer, deeming it beneficial for the company, shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders. This acquisition would enable Schneider to incorporate Shelly's extensive portfolio of smart-home sensors, lighting products, and connected wall plugs into its EcoStruxure Internet of Things platform, currently operational at approximately 480,000 sites worldwide.

Reports from Bloomberg News in July indicated that the two companies were engaged in negotiations, with a formal offer potentially imminent this week.