Sycamore Partners Ups Offer for Talbots to $215 Million

Sycamore Partners has raised its bid for Talbots to $215 million, after circling the troubled women’s clothing retailer for months.

The private equity firm is now offering $3.05 a share for Talbots. Late last year, Talbots

rebuffed a bid of $3 a share, saying it was “inadequate and substantially undervalues the company.”

Talbots, which sells women’s fashion items including bateau sweaters and basic wrap dresses, has been struggling of late, amid lower sales figures and a disappointing holiday season. Shares in the company have fallen 45 percent in the last year.

Still, the company’s stock has risen modestly since January, gaining around 5 percent. The new bid is 10 percent above closing share price of $2.78 on Friday.

Talbots and Sycamore Partners have entered into an exclusivity agreement while the new bid is considered, according to a statement from the retailer. The agreement, during which Talbots is prohibited from considering other bids, expires on May 15.

In a statement, Talbots said its board “continues to evaluate strategic alternatives, including Sycamore Partners’ proposal, consistent with its fiduciary duties to act in the best interest of the company’s stockholders.”