Catapulting itself into the front rank of personal computer manufacturers worldwide and leapfrogging Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA to become the biggest European company in the business, Compagnie des Machines Bull SA is to buy Zenith Data Systems and Heath/Zenith from Zenith Electronics Corp by the end of the year. The businesses being acquired have combined annual turnover of about $1,400m and the purchase price is to be based on the net asset value of the computer business at time of closing, expected by year-end – current value is put at $635m, but the eventual price is likely to be lower as inventories fall during the peak autimn selling season. Zenith sees a net gain of about $22m from the sale, and will use proceeds to repay short-term and some long-term debt, investing anything left over in further high resolution colour display and high definition television development.
