Isotope supplier Nordion to go private in $727 million deal

(Reuters) – Sterigenics, a sterilization services provider owned by private equity firm GTCR LLC, has reached a deal to buy Canadian medical isotopes supplier Nordion Inc for $727 million. The offer of $11.75 per share represents a 12 percent premium to Nordion’s closing price on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, the companies said. “That’s basically what our fair value was (for Nordion), so we think they’re getting a fair price,” Morningstar analyst David Krempa said. Nordion’s U.S.-listed stock trades at 8.3 times forward earnings, a slight discount to the sector median of 11.4.