Stock Take

Smurfit Kappa shares surge as ‘excitement’ rises over €20bn merger

Despite some criticism over its deal with WestRock, investors have rallied behind the management of the Dublin-listed packaging giant

Surfit Kappa: the Dublin-headquartered, Dublin-listed packaging giant expects to see a return to growth in durable goods sales this year

Things can move quickly in the world of M&A. Less than three months ago, Smurfit Kappa, the Irish paper and packaging giant, was facing criticism of its mega €20 billion merger with its US rival WestRock.

One activist fund, Primestone Capital, dispatched a lengthy correspondence to the board in Dublin outlining its reservations.

However, last week, Tony Smurfit, chief executive of the Dublin-listed company, expressed how “excited” he was over the deal, as the company ...