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Royal Mail owner IDS set to concur $4.4 bln Kretinsky takeover quote

Royal Mail's moms and dad business International Distributions Services is set to concur a. 3.5 billion pound ($ 4.42 billion) takeover by Daniel Kretinsky. if the Czech billionaire tables an official deal, the British company. said on Wednesday.

Kretinsky's investment lorry EP Group sweetened its bid to. purchase the owner of one the world's oldest postal business for 370. cent per share, after an earlier quote of 320 pence was turned down. by the London-listed firm last month.

IDS shares skyrocketed as much as 23% to 335 pence, their greatest. level in 2 years. They were last up 15% at 315 cent at 1439. GMT.

The Board is minded to recommend this deal price, which it. considers to be fair and shows the worth of GLS' existing. growth plans and the development being made on modification at Royal Mail. to adjust the business to a considerable fall in the demand for. letters and growth in parcels, IDS Chairman Keith Williams. said.

IDS owns UK's Royal Mail, which is loss making, and. international parcels network GLS. Royal Mail was privatised in 2013 in one of Britain's greatest. state sell-offs in years. Its going public in. October 2013 was priced at 330 cent per share.

Royal Mail, whose red post boxes decorated with the Royal. Crest can be seen throughout Britain, has since suffered numerous. setbacks consisting of labour discontent and resistance to its strategies to. change into a parcels-led company.

The improved bid, which includes 360 cent in money,. represents a premium of about 73% to its share price before the. preliminary bid was revealed.

The board has looked for, and EP Group has actually consented to provide as. part of the proposition, a set of contractual undertakings to. safeguard key public interest factors and acknowledge Royal Mail's. status as a crucial part of national infrastructure, IDS stated.

It is expected the dedication to offer these legal. undertakings to the British government would be reflected in the. cooperation contract between the parties if a firm deal is. made, it added.

EP Group now has up until May 29 to make an official deal or walk. away.

An offer could trigger an intervention from the British. federal government under the terms of the National Security and. Financial investment Act, which provides ministers a higher say over deals. involving critical infrastructure.

The business ministry did not right away respond to. ' request for comment.

EP is a 100% investor in VESA Equity investment which. owns Kretinsky's IDS stake of almost 28%.