Mobile market activity booms as Sky eyes deal with O2 or Vodafone January 26, 2015 Mobile consolidation is set to be a hot topic again this week as European pay-TV operator Sky has been linked in talks with O2 and Vodafone to launch its own mobile offering on one of their networks. The talks come as BT races to finalise more details around its £12.5bn takeover of EE, which it [...]
Amazon steals entertainment spend from UK supermarkets January 26, 2015 ONLINE retail giant Amazon took a larger slice of the UK entertainment market over the Christmas period, largely at the expense of the major supermarkets, according to research published today. Kantar Worldpanel figures show that Amazon took one in every four pounds (25.6 per cent) spent on physical music, games and video in the 12 [...]
Mike Ashley weighs up bid for Evans Cycles January 26, 2015 SPORTS Direct founder Mike Ashley is looking to expand his retail empire after joining several suitors in considering a bid for Evans Cycles. Private equity group Active Capital hired Canaccord Genuity last year to find a buyer for the cycling specialist, which has 56 stores and employs around 1,200 people. Sports Direct is understood to [...]
KKR circles for British building materials firm Lafarge Tarmac January 26, 2015 US PRIVATE equity behemoth KKR is in negotiations to acquire Lafarge Tarmac, one of the UK’s largest building materials companies, it came to light yesterday. KKR has teamed up with FTSE 100-listed materials supplier CRH, with the pair jointly bidding €6bn (£4.5bn) for assets put in the shop window by Swiss building giant Holcim and [...]
Chinese SME incubator fund to float on Aim January 26, 2015 GRAND Group Investment, a late-stage incubator fund that invests in Chinese small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), today announced its intention to float on London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim). The Cayman-Islands-headquartered company is looking to raise £7.1m from the share placing, which is expected to kick off tomorrow. The placing is forecast to give the firm [...]
Bain Capital set to snap up UK car parts maker TI Automotive January 26, 2015 AMERICAN private equity giant Bain Capital is on the verge of tying up a deal for UK car parts manufacturer TI Automotive, it emerged yesterday. The US raider, an alternative investment firm that was co-founded by 2012 US presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is thought likely to complete the acquisition this week. The Oxford-based TI is [...]
City Moves for 26 January 2015 | Who’s switching jobs January 26, 2015 Spencer Ogden The energy recruitment specialist has announced two appointments. Brad Lewington (pictured) has been promoted to director of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, alongside his existing position as head of Asia Pacific. Kristen Zeilerbauer becomes managing director in London. Renaissance Capital The investment bank has announced the appointment of Seki Mutukwa to its [...]
Best of the Brokers for 26 January 2015 January 25, 2015 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com ROBINSON WH Ireland reiterated its “buy” rating for the packaging company, after a trading update which predicted a “much more challenging outlook” for 2015. The broker noted that the acquisition of Madox last year is performing well but said the firm is facing [...]
UK growth lift as FTSE aims to test 7,000 level – London week ahead January 25, 2015 THE FIRST estimate of GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2014 looks set to deliver good news this week, with growth of around 0.6 per cent on the previous quarter and 2.8 per cent year-on-year. Howard Archer, of IHS Global Insight, said: “Ongoing robust services expansion likely ensured that GDP growth held up pretty [...]
All eyes on Fed as it sets rates after ECB move – The week ahead on Wall St January 25, 2015 THE FEDERAL Reserve could be key for Wall Street this week as investors get to hear from the US central bank for the first time since a series of moves by its global peers, including the European Central Bank’s massive stimulus plan. Last Thursday’s larger-than-expected stimulus package from the ECB lifted US stocks, helping indexes [...]
