UPDATE 1-Apollo Global to acquire RPC for 3.3 bln pounds

Reuters

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Jan 22 (Reuters) - RPC Group said on Wednesday Apollo Global Management agreed to buy Europe's biggest plastics packaging maker for 3.3 billion pounds ($4.28 billion) in cash, ending months of negotiations.

The per-share offer of 782 pence represents a premium of 15.6 percent to RPC's closing price of 683.6 pence on Sept. 7, the last trading day before the offer period began.

Private equity has been attracted to the sector's reliable cashflow and growing demand from online shopping, with a spate of takeovers by bigger packaging players further spurring their interest.

RPC said the company's directors intend to recommend the deal to its shareholders.

The company was also in talks on a possible sale to Bain Capital since September, but ended talks with the U.S. private equity firm in December.

($1 = 0.7717 pounds) (Reporting by Sangameswaran S and Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)