Bravissimo: Founder sells up ahead of 30th anniversary September 27, 2024 Lingerie retailer Bravissimo, which was set up by entrepreneur Sarah Tremellen almost 30 years ago, has been sold to a Japanese giant. The Warwickshire-headquartered company has been snapped up by Wacoal’s European division, which is based in Northamptonshire, for an undisclosed sum. Tremellen has owned Bravissimo with her husband Mike since she founded the firm [...]
Portakabin: Sales surge for Portaloo inventor ahead of £1.5bn sale September 13, 2024 Sales jumped by more than £80m at the group behind modular buildings company Portakabin in the year it sold the brand in a deal which transformed its Yorkshire owners into billionaires. York-headquartered Shepherd Group sold Portakabin in June 2024 to French investor Antin Infrastructure Partners for a price reported to be more than £1.5bn. The [...]
Price rises and smaller data packages: Regulator voices concerns over Vodafone’s £15bn Three merger September 13, 2024 The planned £15bn merger between Vodafone and Three could lead to price increases for tens of millions of mobile customers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned. The watchdog added that the deal, which was first announced last year, could also see customers get a reduced service such as smaller data packages in their [...]
Centamin set for £1.9bn takeover by gold mining giant Anglogold Ashanti September 10, 2024 The South African gold mining giant said Centamin was a "compelling strategic fit", highlighting the firm's Sukari mine in Egypt.
Nationwide to complete £2.9bn takeover of Virgin Money after FCA and PRA approval September 6, 2024 Nationwide is to complete its £2.9bn takeover of rival Virgin Money next month after the deal was given the green light by the UK’s financial regulators. The banks said in statement issued to the London Stock Exchange that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) have both approved [...]
Thomas Cook snapped up by Polish tech firm in £30m buyout September 5, 2024 British travel agency Thomas Cook has been acquired by a Polish tech firm, marking its return to Europe after spending four years under Chinese ownership. The acquisition by eSky, a Katowice-headquartered search engine and reservation system provider for airlines, will see its current owner, Fosun, hand over all but the Chinese arm of the business [...]
City deals advisers gear up for rebound after election pushed M&A to four year low September 3, 2024 The City’s deals advisers are gearing up for a rebound in activity in the closing months of the year after election uncertainty pushed mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to a four-year low in June, according to fresh figures today. The value of total deals involving UK firms, as either targets or buyers, slumped to £11.8bn in [...]