Virgin Active to bulk up in size in Asia and Africa June 22, 2015 Virgin Active, one of the world’s largest gym chains, said yesterday it will step up growth in Asia and Africa, and embark on a complete overhaul of its online platform this year following, its acquisition by South African billionaire Christo Wiese. The fitness group was on course for a listing on the Johannesburg stock market [...]
Thorntons share price soars 43 per cent after Ferrero spoils it in £112m takeover deal June 22, 2015 Thorntons shareholders clearly think Ferrero is spoiling them – the British chocolate business' share price has soared more than 43 per cent this morning on the back of a £112m deal. Ferrero's parent company Ferholding has confirmed it has bought 29.9 per cent of the troubled chocolatier for 145p per share – a 43 [...]
Borealis Infrastructure putting together new Severn Trent bid June 21, 2015 Canada’s Borealis Infrastructure is in the early stages of launching a takeover bid for British utility firm Severn Trent. The investment vehicle previously bid for the FTSE 100 water company in May 2013, as part of the LongRiver Partners consortium which also included the Kuwait Investment Office and UK pension fund the Universities Superannuation Scheme. [...]
Google could make joint bid for Tesco customer data unit Dunnhumby June 18, 2015 Google could soon be partnering with private equity fund Permira to make a joint bid for Tesco’s customer data business. The two firms are in talks to make a bid for Tesco’s data wing, Dunnhumby, which gathers and analyses data from about 1bn shoppers across the world, according to reports from Sky News and Reuters last [...]
Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin sold to Singaporeans June 17, 2015 Boutique hotel chains Hotel du Vin and Malmaison have been sold by their private equity owners to Singapore-based property group Frasers Hospitality for £363.4m. The hotel duo, which has 29 sites across the UK and is formally known as MHDV Holdings, has been sold by US group KSL Capital Partners, which bought the chain in [...]
Funerals group Dignity in £38m deal to expand with Laurel purchase June 16, 2015 Listed funeral services provider Dignity is expanding, with the purchase of 36 funeral homes from Laurel Funerals for £38m. Laurel currently operates in 83 locations across the UK. In order to avoid any potential competition concerns, Dignity is only acquiring sites that complement its own geographic spread. The transaction is expected to close in July. [...]
Dragon Oil share price soars as board agrees £3.7bn takeover offer June 15, 2015 Dragon Oil’s board yesterday approved a sweetened takeover offer from Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), breathing fire into its share price on hopes that minority shareholders will accept the deal. Shares in the oil explorer, which operates in Turkmenistan, soared 9.6 per cent to a record high of 734p in early trading, before settling [...]
Majestic Wine profits fall after group makes big investments for the future with Naked Wines aquisition June 15, 2015 Majestic Wine’s profits fell 12.2 per cent during 2015, after the company spent big in acquiring rival Naked Wines. Chief executive Rowan Gormley admitted the company will suffer a short-term hit to its profit as it looked to invest in the short term. The figures Adjusted profit before tax fell to £20.9m in the 52 weeks [...]
House of Fraser owner Sanpower eyes takeover of toy shop Hamleys June 15, 2015 The Chinese owner of House of Fraser is rumoured to be planning another buying spree in the UK with the country’s most famous toy shop Hamleys next on its shopping list. Yuan Yafei, the chairman of Nanjing-based conglomerate Sanpower, is understood to be in talks to buy the famous chain from its French owner, [...]
Greene King leaps last hurdle in Spirit merger June 11, 2015 Greene King moved within touching distance of completing its takeover of Spirit Pub Company yesterday after announcing the acquisition was no longer subject to regulatory approval. The announcement that the company had waived approval from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) means the acquisition is expected to take place within weeks. Last [...]