Universal Music set for takeover by Bill Ackman's Pershing Square

In this article PSH-NL UMG-NL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Bill Ackman's Pershing Square said Tuesday it is planning to buy Universal Music Group in a cash and stock deal. UMG will form a newly merged company with Pershing Square and list on the New York Stock Exchange, according to the terms of the transaction, which is expected to close by the end of the year. "Since UMG's listing, Sir Lucian Grainge and the company's management have done an excellent job nurturing and continuing to build a world-class artist roster and generating strong business performance," said Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman in the Tuesday statement. "However, UMG's stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business and importantly, all of them can be addressed with this transaction." This is a breaking news story. Please refresh for updates. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news. Subscribe to CNBC PRO Subscribe to Investing Club Licensing & Reprints CNBC Councils Select Personal Finance Join the CNBC Panel Closed Captioning Digital Products News Releases Internships Corrections About CNBC Site Map Podcasts Careers Help Contact News Tips Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you. Get In Touch CNBC Newsletters Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox Sign Up Now Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Advertise With Us Please Contact Us Ad Choices Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices CA Notice Terms of Service © 2026 Versant Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Versant Media Company. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Market Data Terms of Use and Disclaimers Data also provided by