British American Tobacco (BATS.L) has agreed a $49.4 billion takeover of U.S. rival Reynolds American Inc (RAI.N), creating the world’s biggest listed tobacco company after it increased an earlier offer by more than $2 billion.
BAT, which already owned 42 percent of Reynolds, will pay $29.44 in cash and 0.5260 BAT shares for each Reynolds share, it said, a 26 percent premium over the price of the stock on Oct. 20, the day before BAT’s first offer was made public.
Reynolds, the maker of Camel and Newport cigarettes, rejected the approach a month later, according to sources, although the two sides remained in talks.
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