Activist shareholders step up pressure on UK boards January 13, 2019 Shareholder activism increased sharply in the UK last year as investors launched campaigns at 25 companies, spending $7.35bn (£5.72bn) on shares. Elliott Advisors was the most prolific activist investor, launching 22 new campaigns worldwide, according to research by the investment bank Lazard. Elliott led a campaign that prompted UK retailer Whitbread to offload Costa Coffee to Coca-Cola [...]
Merger growth drives Grant Thornton International to record £4.3bn revenues January 9, 2019 Grant Thornton International reported record revenues of $5.45bn (£4.28bn), lifted by income expansion from international mergers, and strong growth in its tax and advisory arms. The figure is up $450m on last year, representing an average growth of 9.4 per cent across the whole organisation – slightly behind the 10.7 per cent global growth at [...]
Eli Lilly buys cancer drug specialist Loxo Oncology for $8bn January 7, 2019 Pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly has bought Loxo Oncology for $8bn (£6.27bn), marking the second multibillion dollar US drug merger since the start of the new year. In a sign of the fast-growing market for cancer drugs, Eli Lilly said this afternoon that it has acquired Loxo as it looks to bolster its treatment portfolio. Today’s [...]
UK M&A value soars by more than a quarter in 2018 as number of mega-deals increases January 3, 2019 The value of merger and acquisitions involving UK companies soared by more than a quarter last year as the number of mega-deals surged. Deal activity reached a three year high in 2018, while M&A activity involving UK firms hit £359.9bn which is 28 per cent more than the value recorded in 2017, according to data [...]
Goldman Sachs profits beat expectations as investment banking revenues jump October 16, 2018 Goldman Sachs beat expectations in the third quarter as revenues at its investment banking units surged in Lloyd Blankfein's final quarter as chief executive. The US investment banking giant beat expectations across the board, with net income of $2.45bn (£1.86bn) almost 20 per cent higher than the analyst consensus. Revenues came in at $8.65bn for [...]
Radio giant Sirius acquires Pandora Media in $3.5bn deal September 24, 2018 Two US companies are set to create the world’s largest audio entertainment business after radio giant SiriusXM announced it will pay $3.5bn (£2.7bn) for streaming service Pandora Media. The all-share deal, which will be finalised in the first half of next year, will create a $7bn entity. Shares in the target rose 18.4 per cent to $10.75 [...]
Perella Weinberg partners take home slice of £16m profit September 12, 2018 Bankers at M&A advisory firm Perella Weinberg took home a slice of £16m profit last year. Operating profit for last year was £16.4m, almost double the £8.4m reported in 2016, and was divided between eight partners working for the investment bank in the City. Read more: Profits bounce back at Galliford Try but bypass woes loom The highest paid [...]
Mergers and aquisitions defy stormy global financial markets as M&A deals involving UK firms jump past £260bn September 9, 2015 Businesses pushed ahead with billions of dollars’ worth of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) yesterday, unperturbed by recent volatility that has shaken global markets. Deals involving UK firms jumped past the $400bn (£260bn) mark for the year to date as takeover Tuesday gripped the City. PaddyPower and Betfair agreed a £6bn merger; Cinven revealed [...]
Pharma M&A is heating up again: Mylan makes $27bn hostile bid for Irish drug company Perrigo September 8, 2015 US drugmaker Mylan is making a hostile bid for Irish rival Perrigo, in a sign that the pharmaceutical industry's wave of M&A activity is far from over. On 14 September, an estimated $27.1bn (£17.6bn) will be offered to Perrigo shareholders in the form of cash and stock. The company manufactures private label over-the-counter medicines, [...]
Behold, Betty Power: Paddy Power and Betfair reach agreement on all-share merger September 8, 2015 The boards of Paddy Power and Betfair have reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended all-share merger to create a new entity called Paddy Power Betfair – or "Betty Power" to its friends… Having agreed a deal in principle to create one of the world’s largest online gambling companies by revenue, the pair [...]