FMC Corporation shares surged in premarket trading after the company disclosed that Belgium-based Tessenderlo Group will purchase roughly one-fifth of its outstanding common stock for about $400 million. The stake will be acquired at $13.30 per share, a transaction that FMC says will support its plan to reduce debt and preserve its independence.
The investment - representing approximately 20% of FMC’s common stock - directly supports the company’s stated goal of paying down about $1 billion of debt. FMC said the agreement concludes the strategic options review it launched in February 2026 and that proceeds from the Tessenderlo purchase will be used to lower leverage.
FMC's chairman, chief executive officer and president, Pierre Brondeau, described the board’s decision as the product of a "comprehensive and deliberate process," adding that the board is confident the agreement represents "the best path forward for our company and its shareholders."
Luc Tack, chief executive officer of Tessenderlo Group, said the investment fits the Belgian industrial group's approach of expanding its agricultural platform via minority positions in high-quality companies.
The transaction follows several recent capital and portfolio actions taken by FMC. In the months prior to the announcement, the company amended its Revolving Credit Facility, completed a secured high-yield bond offering that raised $1.2 billion, and reached an agreement to sell its India commercial business for $252 million. FMC also entered a strategic supply and license agreement with Corteva, Inc., which provides an initial prepayment of $200 million, and executed a framework agreement for a $114 million sale and leaseback related to its Newark, Delaware property.
FMC indicated the Tessenderlo transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The company is working with BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs, which are serving as its financial advisors on the transaction.
Market reaction to the announcement was immediate: FMC shares climbed 8.3% in premarket trading on the news. Tessenderlo's investment and the accompanying capital moves are intended to put FMC on a clearer path to the debt paydown target it announced as part of its strategic review earlier this year.
This development completes a chapter of strategic review activity for FMC and shifts the company's near-term balance sheet focus toward deleveraging while continuing to operate as an independent business.