HSBC could be in line for £22bn boost from break-up, researchers claim June 12, 2022 HSBC is missing out on £22bn of shareholder returns by not spinning off its Asian operation as a separate business, according to new research commissioned by the major investor pushing for a breakup of the bank.
Klarna boss questions Apple competitive practices after buy-now pay-later move June 12, 2022 The boss of fintech giant Klarna has questioned the competitive practices of Apple after the tech behemoth announced it would push into the buy-now pay-later space this week.
Weekend read: The SPAC bubble is bursting, argues Syz Bank’s investment chief June 11, 2022 With monetary policies tightening, speculative bubbles are bursting one after the other. SPACs are no exception. As a reminder, a SPAC, or Special Purpose Acquisition Company, is a company with no operational activity – an empty shell – that raises funds on the stock market with the sole objective of making an acquisition or acquisitions. [...]
Terry Smith’s buy-and-hold investment fund ditches stake in Starbucks June 10, 2022 Terry Smith’s flagship investment fund has ditched its stake in Starbucks, after the firm picked up a stake in the Seattle firm after its share price dropped at the start of the pandemic. The buy-and-hold investment fund, started by the star fund manager nicknamed “the English Warren Buffett,” has now sold off its stake [...]
Private healthcare giant Mediclinic rejects £3.4bn offer from consortium June 9, 2022 Private hospital operator Mediclinic has rejected a £3.4bn takeover approach from a consortium including billionaire luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert. In an update on the London Stock Exchange, the Mediclinic board confirmed that it received an unsolicited and conditional proposal from a consortium on 26 May 2022. The consortium consisted of South African investment firm [...]
Apollo and Reliance Industries join forces to make binding bid of up to £6bn for chemist Boots June 9, 2022 Private equity firm Apollo and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries have made a binding bid for high street chemist Boots, it has been reported. According to the Financial Times, the offer values the company at between £5bn and £6bn, two sources familiar with the deal told the newspaper. US owner Walgreens Boots Alliance had been looking [...]
Moscow will cover Russian oil tankers hit by UK and EU insurance ban, Putin ally says June 8, 2022 Vladimir Putin’s right-hand man has said Moscow will cover Russian oil tankers to ensure they are able to continue making deliveries, if they are unable to get insurance due to Western sanctions. Speaking via messenger platform Telegram, former Russian president and key Putin ally Dmitry Medvedev said the Kremlin will cover uninsured ships, through assurances [...]
EY to capitalise on booming private equity market via $1bn investment over the next four years June 8, 2022 EY today set out plans to capitalise on the $5trn private equity (PE) market, with a view to bolstering its PE offerings by investing $1bn (£800m) into its business over the next four years. The Big Four accountancy firm said it aims to solidify its “leading market position” by investing the $1bn sum into expanding [...]
Soonicorn to unicorn: Euan Blair’s apprenticeship outfit Multiverse hits $1bn valuation after new funding round June 8, 2022 Multiverse, the professional apprenticeship start-up founded by Euan Blair, has hit a valuation of $1.7bn (£1.3bn) after completing a $220m (£175m) series D funding round. The round – co-led by StepStone Group and returning investors Lightspeed and General Catalyst – doubles the London-based firm’s valuation from just eight months ago, and will be used in [...]
Female founders face greater risk of equity dilution than men June 8, 2022 Female founders are significantly more vulnerable to the dilutive effects of equity funding than their male counterparts, according to new research from JP Morgan, which shows women, on average, give away much larger stakes in their businesses than men. The UK’s 10,647 female led businesses raised a record £5.05bn in equity investment in 2021, whilst [...]