Direct Line bosses out ahead of £3.7bn Aviva deal after bumper bonus revolt insurance The chief executive and chief financial officer of Direct Line are to step down when its £3.7bn sale to Aviva is complete, it has been announced. CEO Adam Winslow and CFO Jane Poole will leave their roles when the deal is finalised next month. In a statement, the company said a leadership team for Direct [...]
Yodel’s £106m takeover by InPost put on ice after High Court order Business Yodel’s £106m acquisition by InPost has been put on ice after an injunction was filed with the High Court in the latest twist in a long-running legal spat. Last month, City AM reported that Poland’s InPost had agreed to buy Liverpool-headquartered Yodel in what was described as a “pivotal milestone” at the time. InPost said [...]
US-based pawnbroker Firstcash to buy H&T Retail A US giant has made an offer for the UK’s largest pawnbroker, H&T, taking yet another firm off London’s stock market. The deal, which was the fourth Firstcash made to the UK firm, valued the share capital of H&T at approximately £297m. It represents a premium of approximately 44 per cent to the closing price [...]
Zoopla: Rightmove rival handed £500m price tag April 30, 2025 Online property portal Zoopla has been put up for sale with an asking price of around £500m, it is understood. The company, which was launched in 2008, has put on the market by Silver Lake Partners which has owned the group it forms a part of following a £1.6bn deal in 2018. That group also includes [...]
Zip World sold for £100m to Dolphin Capital January 26, 2025 A majority stake in adventure park operator Zip World has been acquired by private equity firm Dolphin Capital in a deal worth £100m. Zip World, which is headquartered in Llanrwst, Wales, has become the latest investment for the Oxfordshire-based private equity firm which already counts the likes of Snowcentres, Techmet and Dynisma in its portfolio. The [...]
Sale Sharks owner sells £1bn empire to Asda backer TDR Capital January 20, 2025 Simon Orange, the self-made millionaire who co-owns Premiership rugby club Sale Sharks, has sold his business empire to Asda backer TDR Capital in a deal worth more than £1bn. CorpAcq, which is based in Cheshire, counts more than 40 businesses as part of its portfolio including the likes of Cotton Traders. CorpAcq does not included [...]
Polling giant Ipsos eyes up Kantar Media in potential £1bn deal December 2, 2024 Global polling giant Ipsos has confirmed it is considering a potential acquisition of TV ratings business Kantar Media in a deal that could be valued around £1bn. It comes as Ipsos goes up against a number of rival bids from private equity firms looking to expand into the market data sector, according to reports. Ipsos [...]
Wilmington: Profit and revenue soar at data provider September 16, 2024 Data provider Wilmington has hailed “another strong year” after it posted double-digit profit growth and revenue. The London-listed firm, which in the summer offloaded its UK healthcare unity for £26.3m, saw its profit before tax soar 42 per cent to £24.1m in the year ended 30 June. Its profit margin rose a quarter to 26.8 [...]