JDH Capital, the investment group run by Texas oil billionaire Jeffrey Hildebrand, is the firm behind a new bid for Vista Outdoor's ammunition business, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: JDH's surprise move comes as Vista is nearing a shareholder vote on a separate, $2 billion deal it struck for the unit with a Czech arms dealer that is currently under U.S. government review.
Zoom in: Vista said on Monday that it received an indication of interest from a "U.S. based private investment firm" for its ammunition business, known as The Kinetic Group, for slightly more than $2 billion in cash.
Vista did not name the bidder, which is also offering a $47.8 million break-up fee to the Czechoslovakia Group should Vista abandon its existing agreement.
Axios has confirmed the unnamed bidder is Hildebrand's JDH Capital. The FT was first to report the news.
JDH did not return a call seeking comment.
The firm's bid for Vista's ammo unit is a shade higher than CSG's $2 billion agreement for the division.
Catch up quick: After CSG signed its deal with Vista, investment group MNC Capital offered to buy the entire company, an offer that the U.S. firm raised last week to $39.50 per share, or more than $3 billion.
Vista has rejected the two prior MNC offers and on Monday, said it was rejecting the third unsolicited attempt as well.
Vista sells outdoor sporting gear and it sells ammunition to consumers and law enforcement agencies.
The company said it is confident it will receive government clearance of the CSG deal and that it would move its June 14 shareholder meeting to vote on the deal to July 2.
Editor's note: This story was updated to show that JDH Capital is the unnamed bidder for The Kinetic Group that Vista referenced in Monday's press release.
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