US medical technology specialist Medtronic (Minneapolis, Minnesota; www.medtronic.com) has completed its acquisition of healthcare products company Covidien (Dublin / Ireland) – for previous coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 20.06.2014. At USD 49.9 bn, the purchase price was higher than the USD 42.9 bn envisioned earlier, and was based on Medtronic’s closing stock price of USD 75.59 per share on 26 January. The combined company will operate under the Medtronic brand name and started trading on the New York Stock Exchange on 27 January.

Medtronic said that while its main executive offices are located in Ireland, its operational headquarters will continue to be based in Minneapolis. The reason for this division, market insiders say, is to lower the company’s tax rates.