Merck buying Sigma-Aldrich for $17B

Merck KGaA (Xetra:MRK) will acquire Sigma-Aldrich Corp. (NASDAQ:SIAL) for about $17 billion in cash. Merck will pay $140 per share, a 37% premium to Sigma-Aldrich's Friday close of $102.37, before the news was announced Monday. Merck will finance the deal with cash, bank loans and bonds.

Sigma-Aldrich distributes chemical and biochemical products, provides laboratory kits and services, and manufactures biopharmaceuticals. The company also has an e-commerce platform. It posted revenues of $2.7 billion in 2013. ...