Fiat, in a $4.35 billion dollar deal to purchase the UAW retiree health?s 41% ownership of Chrysler, has finalized the full purchase of Chrysler. The deal, expected to close on January 20th, will include $1.75 billion in cash from Fiat and $1.9 billion from Chrysler and is expected to help both companies by providing clearer forward motion. The union had been pushing the company to go public to boost their shares, but thus far has not commented on the new deal with Fiat. Fiat?s CEO believes that the merger will create a global competitor against General Motors, Kia, and Toyota.
See "Fiat, in Deal With Union, Will Buy Rest of Chrysler", Jaclyn Trop, The New York Times, January 1, 2014