Sao Paulo | Reuters — Shareholders in JBS SA on Friday cleared the way for the Brazilian food processor to sue its own controlling stakeholders and certain former managers, a rare victory for shareholder activism in Latin America’s largest economy. The vote was a win for JBS’s top minority shareholder, national development bank BNDES, which […] Read more

JBS to seek damages from founders
Brazil shareholder vote a win for Brazil's BNDES

JBS plans U.S. listing as Brazil state bank sells stake
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA and state development bank BNDES are planning a simultaneous listing of JBS international operations in the United States and the sale of the bank’s stake in the company, five sources with knowledge of the matter said. Sources close to the company say JBS is working on […] Read more

Brazil’s BNDES willing to sell JBS stake
Rio de Janeiro | Reuters — Brazilian development bank BNDES is willing to sell its stake in meatpacker JBS SA, one source with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The development bank had already expressed the intention to sell its stake “for the right price.” But the person, who asked for anonymity to discuss […] Read more

Brazil court unfreezes JBS owners’ assets
Brasilia | Reuters –– A Brazilian federal appeals court on Thursday granted an injunction releasing assets belonging to the Batista brothers, owners of the world’s largest meatpacker JBS SA, Ticiano Figueiredo, a lawyer representing the defendants, said. A spokeswoman at the appeals court did not immediately reply to a request for comment. On Oct. 6, […] Read more

Brazilian state bank lambastes JBS CEO switch
Rio de Janeiro/Sao Paulo | Reuters — JBS SA’s weekend move to replace the Brazilian company’s jailed chief executive with his father showed “deviousness” and left in place a situation of “terrible governance” at the world’s No. 1 meatpacker, the head of state development bank BNDES said on Monday, In remarks to Reuters, BNDES president […] Read more

Brazil police detain JBS CEO
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s federal police on Wednesday detained the chief executive of JBS SA, the world’s No. 1 meatpacker, saying he used insider information to avoid hefty losses related to a plea bargain he signed earlier this year. Wesley Batista, who has been at the helm of JBS since 2011, was detained […] Read more

JBS still seeks U.S. unit IPO
Sao Paulo | Reuters — JBS SA will proceed with plans to list a U.S.-based unit when market conditions allow, as the world’s No. 1 meatpacker wrestles with a shareholder revolt over the role of the controlling Batista family in a massive graft scandal. In a Tuesday conference call to discuss second-quarter results, CEO Wesley […] Read more

JBS aims to shed Alberta feedlot in divestment plan
Sao Paulo/Chicago | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA revealed a major divestment plan Tuesday, putting its Alberta cattle feeding assets and others on the block to cut debt after a corruption scandal raised concerns about its financing costs. JBS, whose controlling shareholder recently agreed to pay a massive leniency fine after becoming embroiled in […] Read more

JBS shares soar as speculation mounts over crisis fallout
Cuiaba, Brazil | Reuters — Shares in JBS SA , the world’s largest meatpacker, spiked on Thursday as speculation mounted over its strategy for weathering the fallout from a corruption scandal centered on its owners. The stock closed 23 per cent higher, approaching levels last seen before the graft scandal rattled Brazil a week ago […] Read more

JBS brothers test dealmaking skills in Brazil plea deal showdown
Sao Paulo/Washington | Reuters — The brothers whose deft dealmaking helped build JBS SA into the world’s No. 1 meat processor are testing that talent like never before as they seek a leniency deal with prosecutors after admitting to paying millions of dollars in bribes to Brazilian politicians. JBS and its controlling shareholder J+F Investimentos, […] Read more