German logistics giant DB Schenker is reportedly commanding a hefty price tag.
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Denmark-based freight forwarder DSV and a private equity consortium led by CVC Capital Partners put in individual bids to acquire the company from European railway Deutsche Bahn for 14 billion euros ($15.6 billion), according to separate reports from Bloomberg and Reuters.
The CVC-led group also simultaneously submitted an offer of as much as 16 billion euros ($17.9 billion) that would include 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) from the German government. That investment would give the government a roughly 25 percent stake in DB Schenker.
Deutsche Bahn is currently evaluating both final offers and needs to discuss CVC’s proposal with the government, according to both reports. A decision expected in the coming weeks, according to Reuters.
“The sales process for DB Schenker is confidential,” a representative from Deutsche Bahn told Sourcing Journal. “The most important criterion remains that a sale must be economically advantageous for Deutsche Bahn.”
The representative would not comment on bidders, details of discussions or the amount of the bids, but said DB would provide information of any decisions “in due course.”
Sourcing Journal reached out to DSV. CVC would not comment on the matter.
Deutsche Bahn first unveiled that DB Schenker was officially up for sale in December 2023 after spending a year considering options for the rail company. The sale is largely to help the transportation firm cut debt, the company has previously stated. Additionally, proceeds would help Deutsche Bahn focus more on the core rail business and help it modernize its domestic railroad business.
“Our goal is to serve the climate, people and the economy by substantially increasing the cargo and passenger volumes handled by eco-friendly rail services,” Deutsche Bahn said last December amid the sale announcement.
DB Schenker reported a 7 percent sales decline to 9.4 billion euros ($10.5 billion) in the first half of 2024, experiencing some similar demand problems that have befallen major logistics players during the global freight recession that has lasted since late 2022.
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The company generated operating profit of 520 million euros ($582 million) in the half, down 17 percent from the year prior. But despite DB Schenker’s profitability—making it the best forming unit for Deutsche Bahn—the parent company’s wider problems make offloading the segment a priority.
“The first half of 2024 once again made it blatantly clear, unfortunately, that we cannot afford to put off modernizing the rail infrastructure. It is too old, too prone to failure and too congested,” said Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz during the company’s July earnings call. “It has been stretched beyond its limits in many places.”
Deutsche Bahn reported a first-half EBIT loss of 677 million euros ($757 million), with after-tax losses ballooning to 1.23 billion euros ($1.38 billion). The railroad attributed the losses to structural weaknesses of Germany’s rail network, on top of the country’s rail strikes in March and severe weather.
DB’s debt totals more than 30 billion euros ($33.6 billion), so a sale of Schenker would recoup roughly half of that. The sales process is scheduled to close formally in 2025, Reuters said.
DSV, which has a market cap of $40.5 billion, is currently on stronger footing than Deutsche Bahn. DSV reported a 9 percent increase in revenue at 41.1 billion Danish krone ($6.2 billion) for the second quarter on profits of 2.7 billion Danish krone ($407 million).
The freight forwarder and logistics services provider attributed its financial performance to an uptake in volumes, and market share gains across all its three divisions: air and sea; road; and solutions.
In DSV’s first half earnings report in July, the company alluded to possible deals on the horizon, saying “M&A remains a core pillar in DSV, and we believe that the combination of organic and inorganic growth will create a stronger DSV going forward.”
As for CVC, this wouldn’t be the first logistics acquisition for the private equity firm. The company acquired another Danish freight forwarder, Scan Global Logistics, in February 2023. That deal’s price reportedly went for $1.5 billion.
Previous bidders for DB Schenker, including Maersk and Saudi Arabian ocean carrier Bahri, dropped out of the acquisition race in July. Other European logistics giants DHL and Kuehne + Nagel were potential suitors, but both opted not to bid on the company.
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