Chocolate and drinks firm Cadbury Schweppes is reportedly close to acquiring US soft drinks bottler Dr Pepper/Seven Up Bottling Group for up to £300 million (€433 million).
Cadbury, which already has a 45 per cent equity stake in the US firm, is to buy most of the rest of the bottler from private equity firm the Carlyle Group, according to a report in the Financial Times.
The acquisition is expected to be announced soon, according to the report.
The deal would give Cadbury more control over the distribution of its US soft drink brands, including Dr Pepper and Snapple, the paper said.