Takeover rumours at Qiagen fuel share price surge

The diagnostics group Qiagen is currently reviewing strategic options that could also include a potential sale of the company. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing “people familiar with the matter”. According to the report, Qiagen is working with external advisers to sound out interest from potential buyers.

In recent weeks, the supervisory board is said to have held initial talks with several interested parties, including strategic investors from the United States. However, the considerations are still at an early stage and no formal transaction process has been launched. Whether a takeover will ultimately materialise remains open. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the matter when approached by Bloomberg.

The reports triggered a strong market reaction on Tuesday. Qiagen shares rose by double digits shortly before the close of trading, making them one of the strongest performers in the DAX, which was otherwise trending lower.

Management change opens a window of opportunity

Another aspect highlighted by Bloomberg is the announced departure of chief executive Thierry Bernard. Qiagen had already stated in November that Bernard would leave the company once a successor had been found. According to sources cited by Bloomberg, this step is seen as a factor that could facilitate potential strategic options.

Qiagen is currently valued at around €8.5 billion on the stock market. Over the past twelve months, however, the share price has lost significant value. The company says it serves more than 500,000 customers worldwide, including research organisations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical diagnostic laboratories.

Speculation about a possible takeover has surrounded Qiagen for years. Some unfulfilled speculation has even led to changes at the top of the company, such as the rumoured resignation of long-serving CEO Peer Schatz in 2019. In the wake of that development, Thermo Fisher Scientific made a takeover offer of around US$12 billion in 2020, which was later withdrawn. Talks about a merger with French diagnostics group bioMérieux also failed to result in a transaction. The current share price movement is once again based on Bloomberg reports pointing to a possible reassessment of the company’s strategic direction.

Whether a new chief executive is still being sought, or may already have been found, remains unclear at this stage.