Sika, Saint-Gobain Sign Deal to End Bitter Takeover Battle

Cie. de Saint Gobain SA, Swiss adhesives maker Sika AG and its founding family unveiled a complex accord Friday to end a protracted Swiss legal dispute. Under the terms, the heirs behind Sika sold their entire 17 percent stake for 3.22 billion francs ($3.21 billion) to Saint Gobain, which will give up the special voting rights that were at the heart of the conflict with other Sika shareholders and management. Sika in turn bought an almost 7 percent holding from Saint Gobain, a French supplier of building materials.