The competition to acquire DB Schenker saw a notable change on July 1, as Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc declared that the Group had retracted its offer to Deutsche Bahn after conducting a thorough due diligence and an internal review. Clerc highlighted that while DB Schenker is attractive and has development potential, "the in-depth analysis identified problematic areas in terms of integration."
External analysts suggest that the core issue may be DB Schenker's IT system, which would require substantial investments. Other sources point to the challenging integration between DB Schenker and Senator International, Maersk Group's logistics and international shipping subsidiary.
Three contenders remain in the race to acquire DB Schenker: the Danish logistics multinational DSV, the Saudi state-owned shipping company Barhi, and a consortium formed by the Luxembourg-based private equity firm CVC Capital Partners (which controls Danish Scan Global Logistics), the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC.