1 Ratners Group PLC's U.S. subsidiary has agreed to acquire jewelry retailer Weisfield's Inc. for $50 a share, or about $55 million.
2 Weisfield's shares soared on the announcement yesterday, closing up $11 to close at $50 in national over-the-counter trading.
3 Ratners and Weisfield's said they reached an agreement in principle for the acquisition of Weisfield's by Sterling Inc.
4 The companies said the acquisition is subject to a definitive agreement.
5 They said they expect the transaction to be completed by Dec. 15.
6 Weisfield's, based in Seattle, Wash., currently operates 87 specialty jewelry stores in nine states.
7 In the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, the company reported sales of $59.5 million and pretax profit of $2.9 million.
8 Ratners, which controls 25% of the British jewelry market, would increase the number of its U.S. stores to about 450 stores from 360.
9 It has said it hopes to control 5% of jewelry business in the U.S. by 1992; currently it controls about 2%.

They said they expect the transaction to be completed by Dec . 15 .
completed by Dec . 15
And then how long until the transition is completed?