Private equity firms under pressure to kickstart UK dealmaking January 14, 2025 Private equity fund managers are coming under mounting pressure from their investors to begin striking deals after a sluggish two years hampered by political turmoil and lofty interest rates, advisers have said. While deal value ticked up through 2024, backers of top private equity funds are taking a “sterner” tone with fund managers after a [...]
US activist investors ramp up attacks on UK companies January 6, 2025 US activist investors ramped up their attacks on UK companies in 2024, with British firms continuing as the top target for investor campaigns in Europe. 42 per cent of all activist campaigns in Europe targeted the UK, with 59 companies coming under pressure throughout the year, according to Alvarez & Marsal’s latest Activist Alert Outlook. [...]
Harland and Wolff: Deal struck to buy troubled Titanic maker saving 1,000 jobs December 19, 2024 Troubled shipbuilder Harland and Wolff, which crashed into administration owing more than £160m earlier this year, has been saved. Spanish state-owned business Navanti has struck a deal to buy the Belfast-based company in a move which will secure 1,000 jobs at Harland and Wolff’s four shipyards – one in Belfast, two in Scotland (Methil on [...]
National World: Yorkshire Post and The Scotsman owner agrees £65m takeover December 18, 2024 Shareholders in National World, the media group whose titles include Yorkshire Post and The Scotsman, are set for a bumper pay day as a takeover deal which values it at over £65m was agreed. Irish media group Media Concierge, which currently holds a 26 per cent stake in National World, first tabled an offer worth [...]
Honda and Nissan merger talks spark UK job fears December 18, 2024 Experts say the UK's unfavourable tax environment and declining automotive sector put it at greater risk as the industry consolidates.
Bunzl: Shares in FTSE 100 giant tumble after issuing warning December 17, 2024 Shares in outsourcing giant Bunzl tumbled early on Tuesday after it warned “more persistent” than expected deflation would weigh on profit in 2024. The impact is likely to be felt most by its Continental Europe division, however Bunzl still anticipates a “strong increase” in group full-year adjusted operating profit when compared with 2023. Shares fell [...]
Foreign takeovers surge as buyers strike megadeals December 12, 2024 The foreign takeover raid on UK companies accelerated this year as international buyers struck a series of mega deals to acquire listed companies. In the ten months to the end of October, deals launched by foreign buyers with a UK target had jumped 55 per cent to $116bn (£91bn), with the number of deals increasing [...]
Nodor: Darts maker for Luke Humphries sells majority stake to Inflexion December 9, 2024 A majority stake in a family-run company which makes darts used by world champion Luke Humphries has been sold to a private equity firm. Inflexion has invested in Nodor Group, which is behind Winmau boards and Red Dragon darts, for an undisclosed sum. The Bridgend-based company was founded more than 100 years ago and has [...]
Observer newspaper sale to Tortoise Media approved December 6, 2024 A deal to sell the Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media has been approved, it has been announced. The boards of the Scott Trust and Guardian Media Group have given their blessing to the sale – only days after Observer newspaper journalists went on strike over the proposed sell off. No information has been given over [...]
Vodafone and Three: What £16.5bn merger actually means for customers and prices December 5, 2024 After an almost 18-month battle the UK’s largest ever telecoms deal – which will see Vodafone and Three complete a £16.5bn merger – has been given the green light. Described by Vodafone as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the UK’s digital infrastructure”, the deal has now satisfied the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enough for [...]