Schneider rekindles take-over talks with Aveva after share price rebound June 13, 2016 French industrial group Schneider Electric has rekindled talks to acquire a majority stake in Cambridge-based engineering software developer Aveva. It's thought the deal could be agreed by the end of the month. It's Schneider's second attempt to strike a deal after talks between the two companies collapsed back in December last year. At the time Schneider said a merger would create "significant" challenges "that [...]
Microsoft is buying LinkedIn in surprise $26bn deal June 13, 2016 Microsoft is buying LinkedIn for $26.2bn (£18.5bn) the company announced today, in a completely unexpected deal that becomes one of the biggest ever in technology. Shares in Microsoft were down more than three per cent while LinkedIn shares rocketed nearly 50 per cent in pre-market trading. In a memo to staff, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella said: “This deal brings [...]
Microsoft megadeals: As Microsoft shells out $26.2bn on LinkedIn, what has become of its other $1bn plus acquisitions? June 13, 2016 Microsoft has announced plans to buy LinkedIn for $26.2bn (£18.5bn) – news so unexpected, it left most of the world's tech industry speechless. And while Microsoft's shares fell 3.1 per cent to $49.88 in pre-market trading in New York, it had quite the opposite effect on LinkedIn shares, which rocketed 48.4 per cent, to $63.42. Microsoft [...]
Terra Firma’s Guy Hands drops EMI lawsuit against Citigroup June 10, 2016 Guy Hands has backed down in his lawsuit with Citigroup today. Hands, who brought his case to the High Court in London earlier this week, had been suing the bank for £1.5bn worth of damages over his private equity firm Terra Firma's failed takeover of music group EMI. Hands claimed that Citigroup had misled him throughout the bidding process [...]
Vodafone NZ and Sky Network in telecoms and TV tie-up to compete with the likes of Netflix June 9, 2016 Global telecoms group Vodafone is merging its New Zealand unit with the country's largest provider of pay TV, Sky Network Television. The deal, worth £1.7bn, is in response to growing competition in the country from the likes of Netflix and other internet streaming services and will create one of the biggest companies on the New Zealand Stock [...]
Food billionaire Ranjit Boparan set to buy Tesco’s Giraffe restaurants June 8, 2016 Ranjit Boparan, owner of Harry Ramsden's restaurants, is set to buy Giraffe from Tesco. Sky News reports the food tycoon's private investment vehicle Boparan Ventures, which also owns London-based chain Fishworks, is snapping up the restaurant chain for a "modest sum". Boparan, whose known to be worth £1.35bn, is the founder of Britain's biggest chicken supplier 2 Sisters Food Group. Read [...]
Channel 4 chief exec warns privatisation move would stop emergence of programmes like Gogglebox June 8, 2016 The chief executive of Channel 4 has warned that programmes like Gogglebox would struggle to emerge if the government introduced any form of privatisation. David Abraham is appearing alongside Channel 4’s chair, Charles Gurassa, before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee this afternoon. Read more: Channel 4 takes stake in content firm behind Bear Grylls' [...]
How The Beatles sent Terra Firma’s Guy Hands back to court to confront Citigroup June 8, 2016 Those who have been walking by the Strand recently may have spotted a familiar face, as Guy Hands and his legal team have returned to court for the latest phase in the legal battle over his ill-fated EMI deal. Hands is suing Citigroup for £1.5bn worth of damages in the High Court over Terra Firma's – the private [...]
Verizon planning second round bid for Yahoo’s internet business, sending the share price lower as figures fall short of expectations June 7, 2016 US telecoms giant Verizon is reportedly readying a second-round bid for Yahoo's core internet business. The bid is expected to come in ahead of the Monday deadline and will value the business at around $3bn (£2bn), some $2bn under expectations. The lower-than-expected bid sent Yahoo's share price down by around 0.5 per cent in New York. Previously bids [...]
Jacob Rothschild investment trust says no to alliance with rival June 7, 2016 RIT Capital has withdrawn its interest in making an offer for Alliance Trust. The investment trust, which is chaired by Jacob Rothschild, confirmed last week that it was considering a move. But RIT said on Tuesday morning: “Following careful analysis and constructive discussions with representatives of Alliance Trust, RIT has concluded that it would not [...]