Pub companies: Is now the time to invest in a cheap pint? September 23, 2019 Investors in Greene King are raising a glass in celebration after Hong Kong’s richest man, Victor Li, agreed to buy the UK’s largest publicly-listed pub and brewery company for £4.6 billion (including net debt). A unit of Li’s investment vehicle, CK Asset Holdings, has bid 850 pence per share – more than a 50 per [...]
UK private equity deal values double during strong first half September 4, 2019 UK companies led European private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) activity during the first half of 2019, with the value of PE buyouts more than doubling. Overall PE buyout and related deal values for UK firms climbed to €23.3bn (£21.2bn) during the first half, an increase of 124 per cent on the €10.4bn seen [...]
Bain closes in on $4bn takeover of WPP data firm Kantar July 2, 2019 Bain Capital has entered into exclusive discussions to buy a majority stake in WPP’s data analytics firm Kantar in a deal worth roughly $4bn (£3.2bn). Read more: WPP to sell stake in sports marketing firm Chime Communications The deal would bring to an end a lengthy auction process which has seen bids from a series [...]
Snow deal: Merlin Entertainments sells off £100m Australian ski resorts February 22, 2019 Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments has sold off its Australian ski resort portfolio for almost £100m. The FTSE 250 group, which also owns London attractions such as Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and London Dungeons, said today that the "net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes". US mountain resort firm Vail Resorts, which has [...]
Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments’ share price falls as trading shows early signs of recovery October 16, 2018 Shares in Merlin Entertainments were down more than seven per cent this morning despite the Legoland owner reporting that 2018 forecasts were in line with market expectations. The group's Midway brands, which are driven by the London market and include Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, the Sea Life Centre and London Dungeons, have started to see early signs of [...]
Shares up after toymaker Hornby signs Warner Bros deal to use Harry Potter and DC superheroes franchise September 17, 2018 Shares in model railway manufacturer Hornby jumped more than 30 per cent this morning as it was announced the collectables group signed an agreement to create products using the Harry Potter and DC superheroes franchise. The agreement with Warner Bros will allow the company to release model railway and slot car sets under the Hornby Railways, Scalextric and [...]
Shares up after toymaker Hornby signs Warner Bros deal to use Harry Potter and DC superheroes franchise September 17, 2018 Shares in model railway manufacturer Hornby jumped more than 30 per cent this morning as it was announced the collectables group signed an agreement to create products using the Harry Potter and DC superheroes franchise. The agreement with Warner Bros will allow the company to release model railway and slot car sets under the Hornby Railways, Scalextric and [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell sweetens MediaMonks bid with shares in S4 Capital July 8, 2018 Ad guru Sir Martin Sorrell is sweetening his bid for Dutch digital agency MediaMonks by offering its executives a large amount of equity in his new business, S4 Capital, City A.M. understands. Over half (55 per cent) of MediaMonks is owned by private equity firm Bencis, while the rest is in the hands of a [...]
Learning Technologies shares are flying as it becomes the only Aim-listed company to grab Goldman Sachs as a corporate broker February 16, 2018 The weight of investment banking giant Goldman Sachs is a force to be reckoned with, and Learning Technologies Group has found itself on the right side of that power today. The e-learning business, which is listed on London’s junior market Aim, saw its share price rise as much as 6.7 per cent in morning trading [...]
Taming the trolls isn’t just a matter of ethics for Twitter and Facebook: It makes good business sense January 23, 2018 Rejoice, ye City folk, for a study has found that, for the first time in years, trust in British businesses has actually risen. According to new figures from the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, the credibility of chief execs has risen 14 points in the last year, while board-level directors have been treated to a 10-point [...]