Magnum Ice Cream Shares Surge Amid Acquisition Rumours

NEW YORK, KOMPAS.com - Shares in Magnum Ice Cream Company surged by as much as 18% after private equity firms Blackstone and CD&R were reported to be in the early stages of considering a bid.

This comes less than six months after the company was spun off from Unilever to create the world’s largest independent ice cream maker.

The private equity firms are monitoring the company’s share price before deciding whether to take the next step.

The potential bidders are reportedly waiting for Magnum’s summer sales report before making a decision.

Magnum shares, listed in Amsterdam, rose 10.4% at 3.50pm London time.

Meanwhile, shares listed in the US jumped by a similar amount.

A Magnum spokesperson said the company would not comment on rumours or speculation.

Blackstone and CD&R declined to comment.

Magnum owns ice cream brands including Magnum, Cornetto, Heartbrand and Ben & Jerry’s.

Analysts have warned of a lack of clarity over Magnum’s growth prospects.

“Like other consumer goods companies, Magnum will face rising energy and input costs as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, as well as potential disruption to consumer sentiment,” said UBS analysts earlier this month.

However, they noted that the company has some offsetting factors, such as the ability to offset rising costs through positive price increases for milk and palm oil.

The ice cream brand was sold to Unilever in 2000.

Magnum reported first-quarter sales growth in April 2026 that beat expectations.