BASF 's proposed acquisition of Cognis is entering its final stages with a deal ‘agreed in principle,’ according to the newspaper Financial Times Deutschland (FTD). The main conditions of the deal and the price have been agreed, but no announcement is expected before the middle of this month. Permira and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners— Cognis’ co-owners—are looking for roughly €3.5 billion ($4.68 billion) for Cognis, including the company’s €2 billion of debt, FTD reported.