Mega drug deals light up markets April 22, 2014 DRUG deals sparked a global stock market rally yesterday after pharmaceutical firms unveiled almost $70bn of tie-ups and takeovers, sending investors rushing to buy shares in anticipation of more deals in the pipeline. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) unveiled the biggest British asset sale so far this year after agreeing to offload a division to Swiss drugs firm [...]
Manchester United shares leap following Moyes sacking April 22, 2014 MANCHESTER United’s shares yesterday soared to their highest price since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson following confirmation that his successor David Moyes had been sacked. Shares leapt more than seven per cent to $19 on the New York Stock Exchange, before closing at $18.78, after the Premier League football club announced the dismissal of [...]
Tax hurdles throw doubt on advertising mega deal April 22, 2014 OMNICOM, the world’s second largest advertising agency, said yesterday it is unable to predict when its $35.1bn (£20.8bn) merger with Publicis Groupe would close, raising concerns that the deal might not go through. Omnicom said the mega merger has yet to receive approval from antitrust authorities in China or approval to establish tax residency in [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 23 April 2014 April 22, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Russian bank’s post-Crimea bond A Russian bank in the oil-rich region of Tatarstan has become the country’s first lender to issue a dollar-denominated bond since Moscow’s official annexation of Crimea and the subsequent tension with western governments. Tatfondbank, which has branches across Russia, raised $70m yesterday through a three-year bond. Numericable eyes €8.5bn [...]
FCA called to act as Quindell is hit by critical blog April 22, 2014 THE FINANCIAL Conduct Authority (FCA) is facing calls to investigate after a critical blog post wiped £900m from the value of one of the UK’s fastest-growing public firms. Insurance outsourcer Quindell saw its shares tumble as much as 52 per cent after US firm Gotham City Research initiated coverage with a 3p target price – [...]
Minister warns top firms over remuneration April 22, 2014 BUSINESS secretary Vince Cable has penned a warning letter to the renumeration committees of all FTSE 100 companies, telling them to bring pay in line with performance or risk even tougher rules. Explaining his decision to write to the companies, Cable warned of public resentment surrounding large payouts, adding that he wants to see firm [...]
Q and A: Why has there been no statement from AstraZeneca? April 22, 2014 Q I want to know what’s going on at AstraZeneca – can’t someone make the company tell us? A Yes. The Takeover Panel is in charge of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, which tries to make sure shareholders get a fair deal during a bid. It has a clear set of rules that [...]
GlaxoSmithKline trades assets with rival Novartis April 22, 2014 FTSE 100 drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) yesterday unveiled a complex string of asset deals with Swiss rival Novartis in a move set to deliver a £4bn windfall for shareholders. GSK closed up 5.2 per cent in trading yesterday after investors cheered the three-part transaction, which will see the business sell its cancer drugs offering to [...]
Analyst Views: What does the deal mean for GlaxoSmithKline? April 22, 2014 SAVVAS NEOPHYTOU | PANMURE GORDONGSK has underperformed in recent weeks, impacted mainly by missed upgrading opportunities from the pipeline. This transaction shows management will not sit idly by waiting for the pipeline to mature but will take brave decisions to unlock shareholder value. Managing to get up to seven times prospective revenues for its oncology [...]
Bottom Line: Big pharma is ready to move April 22, 2014 FOR the last few years, big pharma firms have been on the back foot. With expiring patents and drooping profits hanging over their heads, the chief executives of the drugs giants have been hunkered down, working out how to cut costs and find new growth. As of yesterday, they seem to have decided that consolidation [...]