Oct 15 (Reuters) - Hillenbrand ( HI ) said on Wednesday

it will be acquired by investment firm Lone Star in an all-cash

deal with an enterprise value of about $3.8 billion, sending the

industrial equipment maker's shares up more than 18% in

premarket trading.

An affiliate of Lone Star will pay $32 a share, and the deal

is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of calendar

year 2026.

Hillenbrand ( HI ) supplies processing equipment to the plastics

and chemicals industries and to the food and pharmaceuticals

sectors.