Textron Files Tender Offer Statement For United Industrial Merger

Textron (TXT) has filed the tender offer statement and offer to purchase for its United Industrial Corp. (UIC) transaction with the SEC.

As noted earlier, the current tender offer expiration date is Tuesday, November 13, 2007.

The regulatory matters section of the document discloses the following:

Textron and Purchaser filed their Premerger Notification and Report Form (with the FTC) on October 10, 2007.

On October 15, 2007, Textron filed all documents required pursuant to the German Act Against Restraints to Competition. Textron intends to file all documents required pursuant to the Austrian Cartel Act 2005 on or before October 22, 2007.

As with all tender offers requiring non-U.S. regulatory approvals, this one is subject to a brief extension due to the German and Austrian conditions. The late Austrian notification is particularly of interest here, as the Austrian regulator is not known for expediting merger reviews.

Although a tender offer extension into the third, perhaps fourth week of November may be necessary, the companies should have no problems whatsoever successfully completing the transaction before the end of next month.

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