Grand Union shake-up: London bar owners appoint advisers for sale January 10, 2017 The owners of trendy London bar chain Grand Union have appointed advisers as they seek to sell the business. Leisure property specialist Coffer Corporate Leisure has been taken on to handle the sale of Grand Union, City A.M. has learned. Read more: Craft beer may have just met its match The chain, which specialises in [...]
UK bidder still hopeful in Green Investment Bank bidding process after Macquarie slammed for asset-stripping plans January 9, 2017 The British bidder for the government’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) has retained hope of landing the asset as the preferred buyer’s offer comes under scrutiny. Australian investment bank Macquarie has been the government’s preferred bidder for the privatisation since the autumn. But, after it was reported over the weekend that Macquarie plans to strip the bank [...]
Mars (of bars fame) in $9bn deal to buy US animal hospital company January 9, 2017 Chocolate bar firm Mars has agreed a $9.1bn (£7.5bn) takeover deal for the largest operator of pet hospitals in the United States. While Mars is best known for its bars, the company also owns Whiskas and Pedigree and claims to be the world’s biggest pet food manufacturer. The firm today announced it had made a [...]
The most rock ‘n’ roll deal of 2017: Future agrees deal to buy, and rescue, music magazines January 9, 2017 Media company Future has agreed a deal to buy, and rescue, a group of rock magazines. Future’s share price dropped by two per cent Monday morning after it announced the deal for Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, Blues and Golden Gods. The publisher sold the titles for £10.2m in 2013 to Team Rock, which went into [...]
Voyageurs du Monde eyes English-speaking market with 60 per cent stake in UK travel company Original Travel January 9, 2017 One of France's largest travel firms, Voyageurs du Monde, has said it will acquire 60 per cent of UK-based luxury tour operator Original Travel in an effort to further expand into English-speaking markets. The Euronext Paris-listed company has a 40 per cent share of the French market, but it's now eyeing up expansion in the UK, US, Canada, Singapore, [...]
Serial entrepreneur Luke Johnson on Channel 4 sell-off, dodging journalism and having no Brexit regrets January 9, 2017 Life could have been very different for serial entrepreneur and investor Luke Johnson. His father, Paul Johnson, is a former editor of left-wing political magazine the New Statesman. And his brother, Daniel, is the founder of political magazine Standpoint. In the tight-knit media world, it would not have been a surprise if Luke Johnson had [...]
How boutiques have snatched bankers and M&A business from the Wall Street giants January 9, 2017 With bonus season kicking off this week, one or two investment bankers at Wall Street heavyweights may well have cast an envious eye over the recent results of London boutique Robey Warshaw. The firm, which was founded in 2013 and has three former Wall Street bankers as its partners, reported profits of £36.6m for the year [...]
The most gripping private equity tale of 2017? Japanese tyre firm agrees £215m takeover deal for British counterpart January 5, 2017 A Japanese tyre company has agreed a £215m takeover deal for a UK counterpart. Private equity firm Graphite Capital today announced the sale of Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) to Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), Japan’s sixth largest tyre manufacturer. Graphite said the sale represents a 3.7 times return on its individual investment. The private equity house originally backed [...]
Mega-deals help boutique investment bank Robey Warshaw nearly double revenue and profits January 4, 2017 Megabrew, the London Stock Exchange-Deutsche Boerse merger and Royal Dutch Shell's takeover of BG Group helped boutique investment bank Robey Warshaw nearly double its profits and revenue last year. In the year to 31 March 2016, the company reported a turnover of £43.3m, up from £23.9m the year before. Profits increased from £19.4m to £36.6m. Read more: [...]
Sparkling plan: Private equity owner of jewellery company Aurum considering stock market float as well as sale January 4, 2017 The London Stock Exchange could be be set for another jewel in its crown. The private equity owner of high-class jeweller Aurum Holdings, which is behind high street chain Goldsmiths, is considering options for floating the company. Apollo Global Management, which acquired the firm for a reported £180m in 2012, has appointed Jefferies bankers to [...]