Herbalife Ripens for Suitors Brushing Off Ackman Alarm: Real M&A

For suitors willing to bet Bill Ackman is wrong, Herbalife Ltd. is a prime candidate for a buyout.

Ackman’s assertions that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme pit him against company backers including Carl Icahn and Bill Stiritz, chairman of Post Holdings Inc. Stiritz, the fourth-largest holder, said last year he’d support a buyout. Herbalife reported record annual profit this month after auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP gave it a clean bill of health.