A US investment and advisory firm with ties to billionaires including Warren Buffett has agreed to buy a 45 per cent stake in Italian machinery maker IMA in a deal valuing the company at about €6.5bn, according to people familiar with the matter.
BDT & MSD Partners’ investment, which is expected to be announced on Monday, is a sign of its dealmaking ambitions and the latest big money transaction to take place in an otherwise slow market.
“We believe BDT & MSD’s long-term view and deep expertise in supporting family enterprise makes it an ideal partner to help us reach these goals and accelerate global growth, including in the US market,” Alberto Vacchi, chair and chief executive of IMA, said in a statement.