(Reuters) – French food service company Sodexo is considering a possible acquisition of U.S. rival Aramark, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.
Sodexo has been periodically discussing the deal with food and facilities management company Aramark in recent months, the reports said, citing people familiar with the matter.
But there is no guarantee that the talks will lead to a deal, and in any case the potential deal could come under scrutiny from antitrust authorities. Sodexo would also need to secure the funds needed for such a large acquisition, the report added.
Aramark, which is headquartered in Philadelphia and serves 15 countries, has a market value of more than $9.8 billion, according to data from the London Stock Exchange.
Aramark declined to comment on the report. Sodexo did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment late Wednesday.
Sodexo, which provided catering for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics this summer and launched its own voucher scheme, Bloxi, in early February, is still raising prices to cushion the impact of high inflation, albeit at a slower pace.