Is this the end of law firm IPOs? January 30, 2023 British law firms have traditionally stayed away from public markets. Yet following a series of IPOs over the past eight years, there are now six UK law firms listed on the stock exchange. Gateley became the first UK law firm to launch an IPO in 2015 after floating on London’s alternative investment market (AIM). In [...]
Murdoch cancels proposal to reunite Fox and News Corp as shareholders lack confidence January 25, 2023 Rupert Murdoch has abandoned an attempt to reunite Fox and News Corp after shareholders expressed their lack of confidence in the merger. An announcement by News Corp yesterday said Murdoch had retracted his proposal to “explore a potential combination of News Corp and Fox Corporation” in a letter to Fox and News Corp. The billionaire [...]
Standard Chartered mulls sale of £3bn aviation arm days after First Abu Dhabi Bank drops takeover bid January 11, 2023 Standard Chartered is considering selling its £3bn aviation finance business, the bank said today. Standard Chartered’s aviation business, which is based in Ireland, accounts for around two per cent of its total income. The business owns and manages over 120 aircraft, leasing them to over 30 of airlines around the world, according to Airfinance Journal’s [...]
What lies ahead for M&A in 2023 in EMEA? January 4, 2023 | City Talk This past year has been a bit different from the prior year for M&A. After a record year in 2021, EMEA M&A saw a downshift in momentum in 2022. Both deal volumes and values in EMEA fell in the first three quarters of 2022 compared to the same time last year: there were 8,279 deals [...]
Serica to acquire Tailwind in £367m deal December 20, 2022 Serica Energy has announced it will buy the entire share capital of fellow North Sea oil firm Tailwind Energy Investment for a combined £367m. Natural gas producer Serica Energy will provide a £58.7 million cash payment and will issue over 111m ordinary shares representing as much as 28.9 per cent of its share capital. The [...]
Birketts strikes merger deal with Batchelors Solicitors amid forecasts of upcoming M&A boom November 28, 2022 UK law firm Birketts has struck a deal to merge with its London rival Batchelors Solicitors amid forecasts of a surge in consolidation in the UK’s legal sector. The deal will see the two firms join forces in a merger that is set to combine their long-standing social housing practices to create a market-leading team. [...]
M&A Purchasing Power: A US Shopping Spree in Europe? November 9, 2022 | City Talk The US dollar has gained strength over the last few months. And the euro fell below parity with it in July. And the pound… well, let’s not get started. For international organizations with dollar-denominated debts, conditions have become more expensive over the course of this year. Conversely, for US consumers, a stronger dollar will lead [...]
MySale board urges shareholders to back Frasers’ offer despite acknowledging bid undervalues firm October 12, 2022 The board of MySale has urged shareholders to accept Frasers’ bid even though the company acknowledges the offer “undervalues” the business. The Sports Direct owner Frasers would expect to own 504,113,926 MySale Shares or more than 48 per cent of the voting rights, if the deal went through. Last month, MySale shareholders rejected a 2p-per-share [...]
Half of UK logistics firms to make acquisitions despite volatile market October 5, 2022 Almost half of UK logistics firms is set to make an acquisition in the next year despite challenging market conditions. Data published today by Barclays Corporate Banking reported that 45 per cent of UK businesses were considering the move as a way to achieve economies of scale and expand services. This is the highest figure [...]
Sports streaming platform DAZN acquires ELEVEN Group September 27, 2022 Global sports streaming service Dazn has acquired Eleven Sports, making it the biggest football rights holder in Europe. Dazn Chairman Kevin Mayer described the deal as a “major moment” for the company because it will allow them to progress with their ambition to become a “daily destination for sports fans” globally. “It’s a win, win, [...]