Here's why today and May 19 are important sessions for Zydus Life shareholders

(Photo Credit :

CNBC-TV18 Library

)

Shares of Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. are trading higher by 4% on Thursday, May 14, amid multiple corporate developments, including a US acquisition and a proposed share buyback.

The company will acquire Assertio Holdings for $23.5 per share in cash, valuing the transaction at $166.4 million.

Assertio is a US-based specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on oncology and pain management. Zydus said the acquisition aligns with its strategy to strengthen its specialty oncology business.

The transaction will be executed through a tender offer, followed by the merger of Zara, Zydus' wholly-owned arm, into Assertio.

Post-merger, Assertio will remain the surviving entity before eventually being delisted from the Nasdaq. The acquisition is expected to close in FY27.

Assertio's portfolio includes Rolvedon, a cancer treatment approved by the USFDA under the Biological License Application (BLA) pathway.

The company reported CY25 sales of $68.23 million, compared to $60.09 million a year ago.

Separately, Zydus Lifesciences will consider a proposal for the buyback of fully paid-up equity shares on May 19, the same day it announces its March quarter earnings.

This would mark the company's third buyback in four years. In 2022, Zydus executed a ₹750 crore buyback, repurchasing 1.15 crore shares at ₹650 apiece.

In 2024, it carried out another ₹600 crore buyback at ₹1,005 per share, involving 59.7 lakh shares. Both buybacks were conducted through the tender offer route, with promoter participation.

As of the March quarter, promoters held a 75% stake in the company. Domestic mutual funds owned 4.88%, led by PPFAS and Kotak Mutual Fund, while Life Insurance Corporation of India held a 5.56% stake. Foreign portfolio investors owned 6.95%, while retail investors held 4.8%.

Shares of Zydus Lifesciences ended 1% higher at ₹940 on Wednesday and are up 3% so far in 2026.