Bayer successfully completed the acquisition of Monsanto on Thursday, retiring the Monsanto name. Acquired products by Bayer will retain brand names and become part of Bayer’s portfolio. However, company officials say making the change will take some time. Shares in the U.S. company will no longer be traded on the New York Stock Exchange, with Bayer now the sole owner of Monsanto. Monsanto shareholders are being paid $128 per share. According to the conditional approval from the United States Department of Justice, the integration of Monsanto into Bayer can take place as soon as the divestments to BASF have been completed. The integration process is expected to begin in approximately two months. Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant said in a statement “the closing represents an important milestone toward the vision of creating a leading agricultural company.” The acquisition is the largest in Bayer’s history and doubles the size of its agriculture business. The deal took two years to complete, and is valued at $63 billion.
