Reuters DEALTALK sets agenda on possible Pfizer interest in Stada

Reuters set the agenda with a Dealtalk on March 17 on Pfizer training its sights on German generic drugmaker Stada if it lost the bidding war for Ratiopharm. Shares in Stada extended gains to 1.6 percent after the report was published and the stock added as much as 2.5 percent the next day - hitting an 18-month high - after it was confirmed that Teva had beaten Pfizer in the battle for Ratiopharm. The idea that Pfizer would look at acquiring Stada as a fallback deal was picked up in analyst notes from Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, DZ Bank and Exane on March 18. It was also cited in Bloomberg cover of the Ratiopharm sale on March 18.