Sealed Air (SEE) Stock Craters as $10.3B Take-Private Deal Pops the Bubble Wrap Hype

Packaging giant Sealed Air—the brains behind Bubble Wrap—just got vacuum-sealed in a $10.3 billion take-private deal. Investors aren’t celebrating.

Why the sell-off? Private equity strikes again—sucking another legacy player out of the public markets while retail bags the downside. The 'smart money' always finds a way to repackage the risk.

Bonus jab: Another iconic brand disappears into the leveraged buyout abyss. At least the Bubble Wrap still makes a satisfying pop when traditional finance lets you down.

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The company was founded nearly seven decades ago by Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, who invented Bubble Wrap and established the company to commercialize their materials to protect goods during shipping.

Sealed Air to Go Private

CD&R has offered to take the company private by offering shareholders $42.15 per share in cash — Sealed Air went public 46 years ago. The figure represents a premium of 41% to the SEE stock price before deal rumors or other external factors surfaced.

Henry Keizer, chairman of Sealed Air, noted that the arrangement will give the company the ability to “execute its long-term strategic vision.” “CD&R’s partnership will enhance our ability to invest in growing our Food and Protective businesses while maintaining a customer-first approach,” added Dustin Semach, Sealed Air’s president and chief executive.

How’s Sealed Air’s Business Doing?

The takeover plan comes as Sealed Air’s revenue came in flat at $1.35 billion from a year ago during its recent third quarter. The figure beat Wall Street’s analysts’ expectations of $1.31 billion. Earnings per share of $0.87 also surpassed Wall Street.

However, the demand for its materials in the North American food sector—especially in the industrial food processing industry– fell during the quarter. This follows declining consumer spending, putting pressure on the company’s packaging business.

Sealed Air noted that the acquisition offer has been unanimously approved by its board but is still subject to the approval of its shareholders. The arrangement is expected to be finalized by mid-2026.

Upon completion, the company’s shares will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. However, it will continue to be headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Is Sealed Air a Good Investment?

Across Wall Street, Sealed Air’s shares currently have a Strong Buy consensus rating. This is based on nine Buys and three Holds issued by 12 analysts over the past three months.

At $43.27, the average SEE price target indicates about 3% upside from the current level.