Group eyes Dow Chemical

LONDON (Reuters) - A consortium of Middle Eastern investors and American buyout firms is preparing a $50 billion (25.4 billion pound) approach for Dow Chemical Co. (DOW.N) in what could be the world's biggest ever leveraged buyout, a paper said on Sunday.

Quoting sources close to the deal, The Sunday Express, a UK tabloid paper, said a financing package has been put in place for a break-up bid of between $52 to $58 a share and an approach valuing the company at least $50 billion could come by the end of this week.

Dow's shares closed up 35 cents at $44.47 on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.

At least half of the capital is being provided by investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman, with the rest contributed by a number of U.S. buyout firms including Kohlberg Kravis Roberts KKR.UL, it said.

Representatives of Dow Chemical and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts were not immediately available for comment.

The story follows reports in recent months that strategic changes were afoot at Dow, which has been moving toward a focus on specialty chemicals.

In March the Wall Street Journal said Dow was in talks with India's Reliance Industries Ltd. (RELI.BO) about a potential joint venture, citing people familiar with the matter.

Analysts had said they were unsurprised at the report and expected Dow to split off its basic chemicals and plastics business as part of what it has called its "asset light" strategy, which would give it a more nimble and higher-margin profile focusing on specialty chemicals.

In late February the Sunday Express reported that Dow could get a takeover offer of as much as $54 billion from buyout funds, without naming any sources.