Thyssenkrupp AG plans to sell its entire elevator segment. Kone Corporation, a major player in the elevator and escalator industry (“E&E industry”), has publicly signalled its interest in an acquisition. The Company further signalled that in case of a successful bid it would divest the complete European elevator business of Thyssenkrupp to the private equity firm CVC for antitrust reasons. Several other buyout groups compete with Kone without facing similar antitrust issues. We use the “battle for Thyssenkrupp’s crown jewel” as an opportunity to discuss competitive effects of mergers in highly concentrated markets.
Competitive Effects of Mergers in highly concentrated Markets