Overview

• Seven & i Holdings, the parent company of 7-Eleven, was recently classified as 'core' to Japan's national security.
• Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki assured that this new status does not make a buyout more difficult.
• The reclassification led to speculation about Seven & i's motives to defend against a takeover by Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard.
• Seven & i had previously rejected a $38.5 billion buyout offer from Couche-Tard, citing concerns about the offer price.
• Foreign entities seeking to buy a 1% or more stake in 'core' companies must file for a national security review with the Japanese government.