Private equity firms reportedly circling O2 after Three merger blocked May 12, 2016 Top private equity firms are circling O2 after Brussels yesterday blocked a billion pound takeover of the mobile network by Three owner Hutchison, according to reports. Apax Partners, CVC Capital and KKR are among firms to have held preliminary talks exploring a potential bid for Telefonica's O2, Sky reports. They join Liberty Global, the owner of Virgin Media [...]
Was the European Commission right to block the Three-O2 merger? May 12, 2016 Jacques Lafitte, chief executive of Avisa Partners in Brussels and a former senior EU Commission official, says Yes. The Commission was right to block this merger. The decision appears to be based on robust legal and economic grounds. These are tricky decisions. The Commission vetoes on average one merger a year, and this decision is the [...]
UK investor relations firm expands with US acquisition to target “more global and more outspoken and demanding” shareholders May 11, 2016 London-based investor relations firm Sodali has announced the acquisition of a US counterpart, Morrow. The merged entity, Morrow Sodali Global, is now better positioned to target "more global and more outspoken and demanding" shareholders. The company said its deal would create the "largest independent corporate governance, proxy solicitation, investor relations, capital markets and shareholder services firm in [...]
Why George Osborne does not believe the London Stock Exchange-Deutsche Boerse merger is “1944 by stealth” May 11, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne has shown his support for the proposed merger of the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse. The £21bn "merger of equals" deal between the UK and German stock exchanges was agreed in March and the companies hope for completion by the end of this year or in the first quarter of 2017. [...]
China outbound M&A climbs to record highs May 10, 2016 Outbound merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in China has rocketed so far in 2016. The country has become the world leader in cross-border acquisitions, overtaking the US and Canada for the first time on record, according to data from Dealogic. M&A activity has hit $110.8bn (£76.7bn) so far this year, surpassing the 2015 full-year record [...]
Japanese and European investment banks agree merger to create global M&A advisory May 9, 2016 A Japanese investment bank has agreed a merger with a European peer to create one of the world's largest listed M&A advisories. The combination of Japan's GCA Savvian and Altium creates a new international investment bank operating across ten countries, in cities such as London, Manchester, Tokyo, San Francisco, New York, Mumbai, Frankfurt and Tel Aviv. Read more: These two [...]
Mmm: Krispy Kreme share price rockets on news of $1.35bn takeover May 9, 2016 The share price of Krispy Kreme Doughtnuts rocketed on Monday after the company treated investors to news of a takeover. JAB Beech has agreed to acquire Krispy Kreme for approximately $1.35bn (£936m), or $21 per share in cash. JAB is currently best known for its coffee businesses, including Keurig Green Mountain, which it acquired $13.9bn [...]
UK companies are increasingly worried about the economy – but want to do lots of M&A deals May 9, 2016 UK businesses are increasingly pessimistic about the economy – but hungry to complete deals. A new EY study found confidence in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market has eased back on levels seen at the end of 2015, a record year for announced deals. But the 14th Global Capital Confidence Barometer found UK executives' M&A appetite [...]
Top Gear and Radio Times magazine owner on for £300m sale May 8, 2016 Immediate Media, the publisher of some of Britain’s most popular magazines like Radio Times and Top Gear, is rumoured to be on sale for £300m. According to the Sunday Times, the publisher’s private equity owner Exponent is interviewing advisers for handling the sale that is expected to be completed before the summer. One of Britain’s [...]
Why the EU referendum should not be used as a scapegoat to explain falling M&A activity May 5, 2016 Barack Obama probably dealt with a wide array of important issues during his recent UK visit, but it’s doubtful anyone noticed. Only one subject dominated, and that was the US President’s views on Brexit. So loud is the discourse surrounding the EU referendum that, as was the case with President Obama’s visit, it threatens to [...]