Five groups are finalists in the P&G auction

The auction of assets of beauty of Procter Gamble & is coming to the final stage, with five participating companies in different segments of the lines of hair, cosmetics and fragrance business, said people familiar with the matter.
Henkel consumer goods group of Germany, and KKR, the private equity group, are competing for the business of hair care P&G, which includes the brands Wella and Clairol. This unit is valued at $ 7 billion, according to people involved in the negotiations.
The Coty, with brands such as Rimmel, Calvin Klein and Davidoff, made an offer for the cosmetic and fragrance units, including Olay and Christina Aguilera brands Perfumes, respectively.
The private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, which controls several consumer products companies, will play with the Coty cosmetics units, valued at about $ 3 billion.
The Warburg Pincus, of the United States, with a vast portfolio of health and consumption goods, will fight with the Coty fragrances unit, whose value is estimated at around $ 2 billion.
Revlon also was in the race by active cosmetics, but recently quit.
The sale is part of a broader effort by the largest consumer goods company to sharpen its focus on fewer brands, after your wallet became infeasible, tipping the overall revenue. That, in a period that the American consumer has become more cautious, because of the global financial crisis.
Beauty is an area that has required great effort of the company. In the last quarter, net sales of P&G beauty line fell 11%, the new quarter of consecutive fall of the company.
The P&G, Henkel and Coty were not found for comment.
AG Lafley, the Chief Executive of 67 years of P&G, was taken from his retirement in 2013 to orchestrate the transformation of the group. The Executive received much credit for increasing sales and profit of the company in its first pass by the command. Part of their strategy involved acquisitions, like Gillette. The rumours now are that he will not stay too long in Office and that he would be preparing his successor. A name considered favourite is David Taylor, veteran who brought results to the company. P&G