By offering a 60-odd percent premium for Bulgari, in a deal worth a total of 3.7 billion euros, Arnault's LVMH luxury empire is adding an expensive thoroughbred to a stable of brands that includes Louis Vuitton, fashion houses like Givenchy, Moet champagne and Tag Heuer watches. The deal still values Bulgari at an eye-watering 20 times EBITDA and almost 40 times earnings -- twice as much as LVMH itself. That's also about the same as ?ber-pricey Hermes, the exclusive leather goods maker, in which LVMH acquired a 20 percent hostile stake last year.

Little is said about LVMH/Bulgari synergies, other than vague hopes that the combination will "capture additional opportunities for growth". But Arnault has not thrown all caution to the wind. He has hedged his bets by paying for the family's 50.4 percent stake in LVMH shares, in a deal that will see the Bulgari-Trapani family take a little over 3 percent of LVMH, and two seats on the board.

Furthermore, current Bulgari chief executive Francesco Trapani will eventually head LVMH's watches and luxury division, which will double in size and make LVMH a serious player in the field.

LVMH is on course to launch a cash offer for the rest of Bulgari, which would amount to some 1.8 billion euros. But assuming all Bulgari minority shareholders take the offer -- it's hard to see why they wouldn't -- it would only take LVMH's debt to a paltry 0.8 times EBITDA.

In some ways, the French tycoon in effect has just done his most expensive hiring. The main justification for the swift and generous deal, however, may simply be that in the luxury world, opportunities to bag attractive targets are few and far between. Bernard Arnault has shown, once again, that he knows when to pounce -- and how.

CONTEXT NEWS

-- LVMH, the French luxury goods and drinks conglomerate, said on March 7 that it would acquire 50.4 percent of Italian jewellery and watches maker Bulgari from its controlling family, using LVMH shares.

-- The deal values Bulgari at some 3.7 billion euros, a near-60 percent premium to market prices.

-- LVMH will also launch a cash offer for the remaining shares of Bulgari at 12.25 euros a share, with the aim of ultimately delisting the company.