April 9 (Reuters) – Alcoholic beverage maker Sazerac is exploring a deal with Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The development comes as France’s Pernod Ricard is in talks with Brown‑Forman over a possible merger, a deal that would unite the world’s second‑largest spirits maker with the dominant producer of American whiskey.Â
Brown-Forman and Sazerac did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Shares of Brown-Forman, which has a market capitalization of $12.4 billion, soared 13% in afternoon trading.
(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
