Nestlé Finalizes €3 Billion Sale of 50% Water Stake to Platinum Equity

Nestlé has finalized the sale of a 50% stake in its European waters and premium beverages business to Platinum Equity, announcing the deal on July 23, 2026, alongside its first-half earnings report . The transaction values the newly formed joint venture — named Peranel — at nearly €5 billion ($5.71 billion) . Nestlé will receive about €3 billion ($3.43 billion) in cash for the stake .

Key Deal Details

The transaction covers a broad portfolio of iconic brands and establishes a new, independent company focused exclusively on the water and premium beverage category.

• Assets involved: Perrier, S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, Nestlé Pure Life, and more than 30 other brands sold in 120 countries .
• Joint venture structure: The new entity, Peranel, will be a 50:50 joint venture between Nestlé and Platinum Equity, headquartered in Paris .
• Cash proceeds: Nestlé expects to raise approximately €3 billion ($3.43 billion) from the transaction .
• Enterprise value: Peranel has been assigned an enterprise value of €4.9 billion ($5.59 billion), including cash and debt .
• Announcement timing: The deal was announced on July 23, 2026, concurrently with Nestlé's first-half 2026 earnings report .
• Expected close: The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals .

Auction Timeline

The sale process unfolded over more than a year, with several major private equity firms entering and exiting the race.

Milestone	Date	Source
Nestlé engages Rothschild to advise on sale	May 2025
First-round bids due; banks prepare €2–3 billion debt financing	January 2026
Deutsche Bank added as adviser	February 2026
KKR, PAI Partners, CD&R, and Platinum advance to next round	March 2026
KKR drops out of auction	Early May 2026
PAI Partners withdraws	June 8, 2026
Clayton Dubilier & Rice drops out; Platinum becomes sole bidder	June 23, 2026
Deal finalized and announced with H1 earnings	July 23, 2026

Bidders That Dropped Out

The auction narrowed significantly in the spring and summer of 2026, with three major firms dropping out before Platinum Equity secured the deal.

• KKR — dropped out in early May 2026, with Sky News reporting that KKR would not take further part in the process .
• PAI Partners — Nestlé's longtime private equity partner (they had a jointly owned ice cream venture) withdrew on June 8, 2026, a move that surprised some observers given the existing relationship .
• Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) — withdrew by June 23, 2026, leaving Platinum as the sole remaining bidder .

On Blackstone: Your query listed Blackstone as a participant who dropped out, but the available reporting does not confirm this. One January 2026 Bloomberg report named Blackstone — along with Bain Capital — among firms that expressed initial interest, but no confirmed participation or withdrawal has been reported in later stages . Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Financial Times consistently name only KKR, PAI Partners, CD&R, and Platinum Equity as advancing bidders .

Leveraged Debt Financing

In January 2026, banks were preparing to offer up to €3 billion in debt financing to support the buyer's acquisition, consistent with a typical leveraged buyout structure . The final financing mix has not been detailed in the deal announcement, but the available proceeds to Nestlé — €3 billion in cash — are consistent with that earlier debt facility range .

Strategic Rationale

CEO Philipp Navratil (not Laurent Freixe) is executing the sale as part of a broader portfolio pruning strategy, aiming to slim down Nestlé and sharpen focus on faster-growing categories . The water business, while home to iconic premium brands, was considered a slower-growth, capital-intensive unit. Selling a 50% stake rather than the whole business allows Nestlé to:

• De-risk the division and bring in private equity operational expertise
• Free up approximately €3 billion in cash for reinvestment in faster-growing categories
• Retain a significant share of future upside through the retained 50% stake

Important note on CEO name: Multiple sources (Bloomberg, Reuters, and Nestlé's own press release) refer to Nestlé's CEO as Philipp Navratil, not "Laurent Freixe" . Freixe was a former Nestlé executive, but the CEO executing this transaction is Navratil. The company's board is chaired by former Inditex CEO Pablo Isla .