Danish shipping tycoons poised to buy Switzerland's Unilabs for $5 billion - sources
AP Moller Holdings is on the verge of buying Unilabs, the giant Switzerland-based healthcare and diagnostics company.
People following the situation said AP Moller Holdings, a vehicle that controls the Danish shipping company Maersk, is in exclusive talks to purchase Unilabs from private equity firm Apax.
It's not clear, though, how much AP Moller Holdings - which is now run by Robert Maersk Uggla, the great grandson of the founder of Maersk shipping empire - is planning to pay for Unilabs.
Bloomberg previously reported Unilabs could change hands for around $5 billion after seeing interest from Australian lab company Sonic Healthcare, French firm Biogroup LCD, American private equity firm TPG and giant French investment house Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA.
Unilabs operates more than 120 laboratories and 44 radiology units arcoss Europe. AP Moller Holdings is said to have around $20 billion under management...