Newell Rubbermaid Agrees to Acquire Jarden for $15.4 Billion

Newell Rubbermaid Inc. agreed to buy Jarden Corp. for about $15.4 billion, creating a consumer-products giant with a sprawling portfolio that will use its increased size to cut costs and bolster investment in its most-promising businesses.

The new company, called Newell Brands, will have $16 billion in sales, according to a statement Dec. 14. Jarden investors will receive cash and stock valued at about $60 a share—24 percent higher than the closing price on Dec. 4, the last trading day before media reports said merger talks had begun. Newell will issue $5 billion of debt to complete the transaction and ...