KKR’s acquisition of Spectris at 96% premium sums up the failings of the UK stock market in a nutshellThis shouldn’t happen in a well-functioning stock market: a grownup industrial company, listed in London since 1988, with revenues of £1.3bn last year and pre-tax profits of £191m, is being taken out by private equity at a 96% premium to the pre-action share price. How can a business be worth twice as much in private hands than on the public markets?The company is Spectris, a low-profile but high-quality FTSE 250 maker of precision instruments and testing equipment used in everything from food manufacturing to automotives. The buyer is KKR with an agreed offer of £4.1bn that beats fellow US private equity house Advent’s £3.8bn offer last week. Continue reading...