Private equity giant Bain mulls bid for London-listed software firm Craneware
Edinburgh-based software firm Craneware's shares jumped on Friday after it emerged a private equity group is mulling a takeover bid.
Bain Capital said it is considering trying to buy the London-listed company, which provides software to hospitals in the US.
Private equity group Bain said it has not made a firm offer, but that it is 'assessing' whether to do so, in an announcement on Friday.
It now has until June 13 to make an approach.
The deal would make Craneware the latest listed firm to leave the London Stock Exchange, following the likes of takeaway giant Just Eat and betting firm Flutter.
Craneware, which makes accounting and billing software which it sells to the US healthcare system, has more than 800 employees, according to its website.
It turned over 189 million US dollars (£142 million) last year and recently struck a deal with Microsoft to feature its product more on the tech giant's cloud platforms.
In a statement, Bain said: 'Bain Capital confirms that the Bain Capital Funds are assessing a possible offer to acquire the issued and to be issued share capital of Craneware.
'This evaluation is highly preliminary in nature, and has not to date involved any approach to the board of Craneware.'
Shares in Craneware rose 10% on the news of the possible offer.
Analysts at Panmure Liberum wrote on Friday: 'We have argued for some time that Craneware is a bid target as it would be an attractive way to buy a strongly positioned US healthcare software provider.
'We think there could be several interested parties if this was to proceed.'
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