Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Jul 23
Platinum Equity Nears 50% Nestlé Water Stake Deal at Nearly €5 Billion
Updated
Updated · Financial Times · Jul 23

Platinum Equity Nears 50% Nestlé Water Stake Deal at Nearly €5 Billion

3 articles · Updated · Financial Times · Jul 23

Summary

  • A roughly 50% sale of Nestlé’s European water business to Platinum Equity is close, with the sides racing to finalize terms before Nestlé’s half-year update on Thursday.
  • The transaction would be structured as a joint venture valuing the Perrier and San Pellegrino unit at almost €5 billion after Platinum emerged as the sole bidder.
  • That process was difficult because French authorities raided two bottling sites earlier this year and Nestlé’s water business was already hit by a 2024 purity scandal over prohibited treatment methods.
  • Nestlé began preparing the disposal in 2024, separated the division in 2025, and is now trimming non-core assets under chief executive Philipp Navratil’s broader strategic overhaul.

Insights

With private equity backing, will Peranel's iconic water brands innovate for consumers or simply be optimized for maximum profit?
Can a growth-focused Peranel solve the bottled water industry's plastic problem, or is the business model fundamentally unsustainable?
Nestlé's water business is growing. Why hand over the reins now instead of capitalizing on the momentum internally?