REFILE-Keurig Dr Pepper in talks to buy Bang Energy drinks maker - Bloomberg

(Corrects attribution in headline)

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Keurig Dr Pepper Inc is in talks to buy the maker of Bang Energy drinks, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, at a time when traditional beverage makers are investing in smaller brands.

The deal price for the owner of the energy drink brand, Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc or VPX, has not been finalized, the report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

One of the people said VPX could be valued at over $2 billion, while another person placed the figure at more than $3 billion, according to the report that said talks are in an early stage. (https://bloom.bg/3pzcGjq)

Coffee maker Keurig Dr Pepper and VPX did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

A deal for VPX could mark the latest in a series of deals by beverage giants, with Coca-Cola Co acquiring the rest of BodyArmor it did not own for $5.6 billion and PepsiCo Inc taking a stake in energy drinks maker Celsius Holdings Inc. (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)