KKR to acquire Gardner Denver for $3.9 billion

Private equity firm KKR & Co LP will buy industrial machinery maker Gardner Denver Inc for $3.9 billion including debt.

The offer values Gardner Denver at $76 per share, a premium of 3 percent to the stock's Thursday closing price.

It is 39 percent above what the stock was trading at in late October when the company said it was exploring a sale.

(Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi in Bangalore)