Potential Acquisition of Rotork by ABB Faces Uncertainty Following Regulatory Block of ABB Robotics Sale

ABB’s potential acquisition of UK automation specialist Rotork is uncertain after Chinese authorities blocked ABB’s planned sale of its robotics division to a Japanese technology firm. The sale was expected to generate about $5.3 billion, which ABB had earmarked to fund the acquisition; if the divestiture fails, analysts say ABB’s near-term plans for Rotork could be jeopardized.