Compass Group Makes Record €1.5 Billion Vermaat Deal, Lifts Profit Outlook

Compass Group PLC has agreed to buy Dutch premium food-services operator Vermaat Groep from private-equity owner Bridgepoint for about €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) including debt, marking the British caterer’s largest acquisition to date. The transaction will give Compass control of a business that runs restaurants and cafés in high-profile venues across the Netherlands, France and Germany. Alongside the deal, Compass reported an 8.6% increase in third-quarter revenue and raised its full-year guidance. The company now expects underlying operating profit to grow around 11%, compared with a previous forecast of high single-digit expansion. The stronger outlook sent Compass shares up roughly 8.8% in early London trading. Compass said Vermaat is on track to generate about €700 million in sales with a double-digit operating margin in 2025, bolstering the group’s push in continental Europe. The purchase adds to a string of smaller European acquisitions completed this year as the world’s largest contract caterer seeks to widen its footprint beyond its core North American market.