Swedish buyout group EQT has lodged a fresh bid for FTSE 100-listed Intertek, raising its offer to £58 a share in cash after earlier proposals of £54 and £51.50 were rebuffed. The move follows a strategic review that could split the company’s energy and infrastructure arm to unlock value for shareholders and streamline operations ahead.

Intertek’s board has repeatedly said the earlier offers undervalued the testing and inspection firm’s long‑term prospects. The latest offer translates into an equity valuation of £8.9 billion, a figure that reflects the company’s robust revenue streams and growing demand for quality assurance in global supply chains across sectors ranging from aerospace to consumer goods everywhere today.

Matt Peltz, son of activist investor Nelson Peltz, has built a stake in Intertek, adding pressure on the board to consider a sale. If EQT succeeds, the transaction could reshape the UK market for product testing, forcing competitors to reassess their growth strategies and potentially spurring consolidation within the broader industrial testing sector for 2025.

Shareholders will weigh the offer against Intertek’s ongoing strategic review, which could see a demerger or sale of its energy and infrastructure unit. The outcome will dictate whether the company remains a single, diversified testing powerhouse or splits into more focused entities, affecting valuation multiples and investor appetite for future investors in the sector today.