Pfizer and Allergan set to merge in a $150 billion deal

The boards of Pfizer and Allergan are set to approve a merger of the two companies worth more than $150 billion. A merger would create a huge new pharmaceutical giant and could potentially help Pfizer lower its American tax rate. Directors of both companies were expected to vote on the transaction Sunday, with an announcement expected as soon as Monday, the people said, noting that final details were still being settled and the timing could change.
Under terms of the proposed deal, Pfizer is expected to pay 11.3 of its shares for each share of Allergan, the maker of Botox, which has its headquarters in Dublin. The transaction would also involve a relatively small cash component, the New York Times reports.
In an effort to avoid rules from the United States Treasury Department that have made it harder for American companies to relocate their headquarters abroad to reduce their taxes — a maneuver known as a corporate inversion — Allergan would legally be the buyer, said the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly.
Yet in most other respects, it would be clear that Pfizer was the acquirer. Its chief executive, Ian Read, is expected to become chief executive of the combined company. His counterpart at Allergan, Brent Saunders, would become his top lieutenant. Representatives of Pfizer and Allergan declined to comment. News of the boards’ meetings was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.