KKR Secures £4.7bn Spectris Takeover Deal

KKR & Co. has secured an agreement to acquire UK-based precision instruments and software maker Spectris Plc for approximately £4.1 billion in equity, or £4.7 billion including debt, surpassing a rival bid from Advent International. The deal values Spectris at £40 per share, inclusive of a 28 pence-per-share dividend, and represents a 96% premium over the firm's pre-bid share price and a 6.3% premium to Advent's offer. The Spectris board unanimously recommends KKR's bid and has formally withdrawn its earlier backing of Advent. The transaction is among the largest for a London-listed company in 2025, underscoring robust U.S. private equity interest in UK technology firms. KKR executives have pledged to invest in Spectris’s growth and workforce, citing its strength in sectors such as life sciences, industrial automation, and aerospace.