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Uber to Acquire Postmates in an All-Stock Deal for $2.65B

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According to Bloomberg News, Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER - Free Report) has agreed on an all-stock deal to acquire Postmates Inc. The deal, expected to be formally announced today, is valued at $2.65 billion.

Postmates, the fourth-largest food delivery company in the United States, will be part of Uber’s food delivery division, Uber Eats. The combined entity will be under the control of Uber Eats’ head Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty. However, Postmates will continue to be managed separately by its chief executive officer Bastian Lehmann and his team.

Reports of Uber planning to acquire its smaller rival Postmates first surfaced last week. Given the intense competition in the food delivery market, Uber, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold),  was looking for a consolidation. To this end, in May, the company attempted to acquire Grubhub . However, talks fell apart between the two parties in June reportedly due to antitrust concerns. Grubhub, also carrying a Zacks Rank #3, is now set to be acquired by Just Eat Takeaway.com, a European food-delivery company.

The takeover would help reduce competition in the U.S. food delivery space, simultaneously strengthening Uber’s foothold in Los Angeles and the American Southwest, where Postmates has a strong base.

Although Uber’s board of directors has approved the Postmates deal, the plans could still change.

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