DSV and a private equity consortium led by CVC have reportedly individually put in binding bids of around EUR14 billion (USD15.6 billion) for DB Schenker.
This story was carried in our sister publication, Air Cargo News.
As well as a bid for EUR14 billion, news site Bloomberg reported that the CVC-led group has simultaneously discussed an offer of as much as EUR16 billion (USD17.9 billion) for DB Schenker that could see the German government reinvesting about EUR3 billion (USD3.4 billion) for an approximately 25 percent stake in the forwarder, the undisclosed source(s) said.
A Deutsche Bahn spokesperson told Air Cargo News: “The sales process for DB Schenker is confidential. We therefore do not comment on bidders, details of discussions or the amount of the bids. We will provide information of any decisions in due course. The most important criterion remains that a sale must be economically advantageous for Deutsche Bahn.”
In June, Deutsche Bahn narrowed the number of potential buyers of DB Schenker down to four bidders. The following month A.P. Moller-Maersk confirmed it had withdrawn its bid after it concluded that integrating DB Schenker into the company would involve multiple challenges.
Later in July, there were reports that Saudi shipping company Bahri has dropped out of the running for the forwarder.
Deutsche Bahn announced that DB Schenker was officially up for sale in December 2023 after spending a year mulling its options. The forwarding giant is being sold by Deutsche Bahn as it looks to reduce debts.
