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Raised stakes in a firearms takeover contestA battle over Vista Outdoor, the company behind top ammunition brands like Remington and Camelbak water bottles, is escalating — and national security is becoming a bigger factor in the fight. MNC is offering $37.50 a share for all of Vista, up from a bid of $35 last month and 16 percent higher than where Vista’s stock closed on Friday. In a letter to Vista’s board reviewed by DealBook, the investment firm reiterated that it had lined up financing for its offer, despite questions by Vista about how solid those commitments were. Vista rejected MNC’s previous offer, saying a planned breakup of itself would be more valuable for shareholders. (Vista has agreed to sell its ammunition business to CSG for $1.9 billion, leaving its nonfirearm division, Revelyst, as a stand-alone public company.)

Persons: DealBook, Vista Organizations: Vista, Remington, MNC Capital, Czechoslovak, MNC, CSG Locations: U.S, Vista

☆ Czech gunmaker Colt CZ makes offer for Vista Outdoor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Jason Hovet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Visitors look at firearms from Colt CZ Group at the Milipol Paris, the worldwide exhibition dedicated to homeland security and safety, in Villepinte near Paris, France, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPRAGUE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Czech gunmaker Colt CZ Group (CZG.PR) has made a cash-and-stock merger offer to Vista Outdoor (VSTO.N), valuing the U.S. sporting and outdoor goods group's shares at a 16% premium. Colt CZ said it proposed keeping the company together, scrapping plans to separate Vista at this time. Colt CZ, along with a majority shareholder and its chairman, together acquired more than 5% of Vista shares, they announced in October. Colt CZ shares fell around 3% at the Prague open on Thursday but had recovered to trade nearly 1% higher by 1053 GMT.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Colt CZ's, Vista, Colt, Jason Hovet, Mark Potter Organizations: Colt CZ, REUTERS, Rights, Vista, Czechoslovak Group, Czechoslovak, Colt, CSG, Thomson Locations: Paris, Villepinte, France, Czech, U.S, Vista, Prague

UKRAINE DIVERSIONReuters spoke to around a half dozen Czech and Polish defence companies and government officials who described renewed efforts to carve out a bigger share of the African arms market as the Ukraine conflict diverts Russia's attention. Privately-held defence and civil manufacturing company Czechoslovak Group - the biggest Czech defence company - said its ability to maintain and modernize armoured vehicles using Soviet-era standards has helped it win business in Africa. ...in Poland where our stand was visited by numerous delegations from African countries that appeared here for the first time," WB Group spokesman Remigiusz Wilk said. The effort to supply Ukraine has pushed Czech companies to boost production and expand supply lines, something Czech-based independent defence analyst Lukas Visingr said has burnished the region's reputation. "The Czech arms industry is stepping up its efforts towards certain African countries still using Soviet-style equipment but who start to see Russia as a problematic supplier," Visingr said.

Persons: David W Cerny, Jiri Hynek, Filip Kulstrunk, Andrej Cirtek, Pieter Wezeman, Sebastian Chwalek, –, Remigiusz Wilk, Petr Fiala, Tomas Pojar, Tomas Kopecny, Kopecny, Lukas Visingr, Visingr, Michael Kahn, Anna Koper, Alex Richardson Organizations: Aero Vodochody, REUTERS, Western, Central, Russia Czech, Defence, Western NATO, Warsaw, Defence and Security Industry Association of, Reuters, Aero, Privately, Czechoslovak Group, CSG, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, WB Group, WB, Ivory, Thomson Locations: Odolena Voda, Czech Republic, Russia, Africa, PRAGUE, WARSAW, European, Western, Czechoslovakia, Czech, UKRAINE, Polish, Ukraine, Stockholm, China, Saharan Africa, Poland's, Poland, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Prague, Mozambique

☆ Vista Outdoor to sell sporting products unit in $1.91 bln deal, cuts sales forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 16 (Reuters) - Vista Outdoor (VSTO.N) said on Monday it would sell its sporting products business in a $1.91 billion deal, although its shares tumbled about 20% in early trading after it cut its full-year sales forecast. The all-cash sale of the sporting products unit, which includes its guns and ammunition business, to privately held Czechoslovak Group a.s. (CSG) is expected to close next calendar year, Vista Outdoor said. Earlier this month, Vista spun off its outdoor products segment, which includes helmets and water bottles, into a separate publicly traded company called Revelyst as part of its previously announced plan. Vista said in a call with analysts and investors that the separation of its sporting and outdoor goods units will be formalized at the closing of its deal with CSG. CSG said it plans to take $1.11 billion of debt financing to fund the deal with Vista Outdoor.

Persons: Andy Keegan, Vista, Fiocchi Munizioni, Juveria Tabassum, Jason Hovet, Jan Lopatka, Savio D'Souza, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Vista, CSG, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Prague

☆ Indonesia confirms buying used fighter jets for $800 million after deal criticised
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, June 14 (Reuters) - Indonesia confirmed on Wednesday it had bought 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets previously used by Qatar, defending the nearly $800 million deal as a fast way to upgrade the air force after it was criticised by lawmakers who said the planes were too old. The defence ministry said in a statement that Indonesia had signed the deal for 733 million euros ($792 million) with Excalibur International a.s., a unit of Czech defence company Czechoslovak Group (CSG) in January. The country has long been seeking to overhaul its ageing air fleet which includes U.S.-made F-16 and Russian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 jets. The country secured a deal to order 42 Rafale fighter jets for $8.1 billion in February. A planned purchase of F-15 fighter jets is also in advanced stages and awaiting final sign-off from the government, defence minister Prabowo Subianto said last year.

Persons: Tubagus Hasanuddin, Edwin Adrian Sumantha, Sukhoi Su, Prabowo Subianto, Ananda Teresia, Gayatri Suroyo, Peter Graff Organizations: Czechoslovak Group, Dassault Aviation, Indonesian Air, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Qatar, Czech, U.S, Russia, Jakarta

[1/2] A Vietnamese officer tries a weapon at the stalls of Czech security firms, including Colt, at the Vietnam International Defence Expo 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam, December 8, 2022. REUTERS/Khanh VuHANOI, April 24 (Reuters) - Vietnam is in talks with the Czech Republic for military supplies, including aircraft, radars, upgrades of armoured vehicles and firearms, a Czech government source told Reuters, as Hanoi aims at diversifying its mostly Russian arsenal. Hanoi ordered a dozen L-39NG light-combat aircraft in 2021 from Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody, with delivery to begin this year. Of the 15 companies that composed the Czech business delegation, four were security firms. The Vietnam foreign ministry and the Czech embassy in Hanoi had no immediate comment.

Allies have been supplying Kyiv with weapons and military equipment since Russia invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24, depleting their own inventories along the way. HISTORIC INDUSTRYEastern Europe's arms industry dates back to the 19th Century, when Czech Emil Skoda began manufacturing weapons for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They said Ukraine had acquired weapons and equipment via donations from governments and direct commercial contracts between Kyiv and the manufacturers. "At the same time it's an opportunity for them to build up their military production industry." Czech arms exports this year will be the highest since 1989, he said, with many companies in the sector adding jobs and capacity.

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