TRIBUNE Publishing Co has received a $680 million takeover offer from Newslight LLC, a bid that trumps an earlier proposal from hedge fund, Alden Global Capital, for the owner of the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News.
Tribune said in a statement on Monday that its board had determined that the $18.50 per share proposal from Newslight, jointly owned by Choice Hotels International Inc Chairman Stewart Bainum and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, was superior to Alden’s bid.
Newslight’s offer represents a premium of about 45% to Tribune’s close before Alden made its first bid on Dec. 31. The Baltimore Sun owner’s shares closed at $18.03 on Thursday.
New York-based Alden, the largest shareholder in Tribune, had offered $17.25 per share for the company in February for the stake it did not already own.
