The Zhitong Finance App learned that Qiagen (QGEN.US) said on Thursday that it has agreed to accept an all-cash public takeover offer issued by private equity firm EQT Group (EQT). The deal valued the European molecular testing company at around 10.8 billion euros.
Sweden-based EQT will acquire all of Qiagen's tradable shares through its holding company Crown NL Bidco for 46.50 euros per share. This price is a 40.3% premium over Qiagen's closing price of €33.15 per share on the Frankfurt XETRA Exchange on July 8, 2026 — July 8 was the last trading day before the market reported private equity acquisition intentions; at the same time, it had a 46.9% premium over the three-month weighted average price of XETRA's three-month trading volume of €31.66 per share up to July 8, 2026 (inclusive).
Qiagen shares rose nearly 1% during the pre-market trading session. The company's board of directors has unanimously approved the deal.
As part of the deal, EQT has agreed to support Qiagen's long-term development, including commitments on the company's strategy, business, core brand, operating layout, and R&D activities.
The deal is currently expected to close in mid-2027.
The two companies said that if the transaction is not settled within 10 months from the date of publication due to the required regulatory approvals not being approved, Qiagen may choose to pay shareholders a special interim dividend of up to $0.47 per share; adding that no such interim dividend will be deducted from the offer price.
Qiagen said in March this year that the company is working with Moelis & Co. and Goldman Sachs to evaluate its strategic options.
In August 2020, Thermo Fisher (TMO.US) abandoned its purchase offer of €43.00 per share for the diagnostic testing manufacturer. Thermo Fisher initially announced the acquisition of Qiagen for €39 per share in March 2020, then raised the offer after institutional investors objected due to price issues.
Earlier this week, Qiagen also disclosed preliminary revenue data for the third quarter, with net sales of $548 million.
According to information, Qiagen is a global molecular testing leader starting from the Netherlands. It focuses on nucleic acid sample pretreatment, pathogen testing, NGS supporting reagents and automated instruments. Its business spans clinical diagnosis and scientific research markets, and is also a core supplier of consumables and equipment in the global life science industry chain.