Unilever has agreed to buy back the bulk of its Dutch preference shares and to launch a public offer for the rest, valuing them at 450 million euros, as the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company seeks to simplify its capital structure. Fresh from defending itself against an unsolicited $143 billion takeover bid from Kraft Heinz, the Anglo-Dutch company said in April it would review its dual-headed structure, as it sought to make itself more agile, particularly with respect to big-ticket M&A deals.

Unilever said on Wednesday it had agreed terms with NN Investment Partners and ASR Nederland for the acquisition of all of their 6 percent and 7 percent cumulative preference shares in Unilever NV, the company's Dutch-listed entity.

Copyright Reuters, 2017