7-Eleven's Japanese Owner Mulls Going Private Amid Rival Bids

Seven & i Holdings considers a management buyout to counter foreign takeover attempts by Alimentation Couche-Tard and Ito-Kogyo.

Seven & i Holdings, owner of 7-Eleven, is evaluating a private buyout to avoid a $47 billion offer from Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard.
A competing proposal has been made by Junro Ito, a vice-president of Seven & i, through his company Ito-Kogyo, potentially valuing the buyout at $58 billion.
The Japanese firm has set up a special committee to review all buyout offers, including the higher bid from Ito, which could thwart Couche-Tard's acquisition plans.
Going private would allow Seven & i to maintain current management and alleviate shareholder pressure for asset sales.
The potential management buyout, if realized, would be the largest in history, highlighting significant foreign interest in Japanese companies.