US casino operator Bally’s £2bn takeover of Gamesys inches closer August 11, 2021 The co-founder of British betting firm Gamesys has agreed to sell his shares in exchange for those of Bally’s, according to an announcement today, as the £2bn merger moves toward completion. In March Bally’s agreed in principle to buy UK firm Gamesys for $2.7bn (£2bn). Bally’s said it would pay 1,850 pence per share in [...]
Fine dining restaurant planned for the top of Lloyd’s of London August 10, 2021 Lloyd’s of London is considering adding a Michelin-starred restaurant to the top of its headquarters as part of a revamp of the insurance marketplace’s iconic building spaces. The creation of a high-end restaurant with enviable views of London is being considered as a way to create ‘destination style’ experiences, and attract more clients and members of [...]
Marlowe ditches its ‘unsolicited’ takeover bid of Restore August 10, 2021 Business services company Marlowe has today announced that it has withdrawn its takeover bid for fellow data services firm Restore after the companies could not come to an agreement. The board of Marlowe said it still believed that the deal would have been “strategically compelling,” but that the “offer price that would be required to secure [...]
M&G investment shares slip after reporting loss August 10, 2021 Investment manager M&G saw shares fall after today reporting a loss after tax of £248m for the first half of the year. Before tax the company saw a six per cent improvement in its profits for the half-year, at £327m, but the FTSE 100 company swung to a loss after tax of £248m for the six [...]
Travers Smith partner profits soar 21 per cent to £1.2m August 10, 2021 Travers Smith partner profits have soared by over a fifth to £1.2m, following investment in asset management, M&A and dispute resolution. Profit per equity partner rose by 21.5 per cent to £1.2m while turnover was up 15 per cent at £186m according to provisional figures for the year ended 30 June 2021. “None of us [...]
Half a million UK partners in law firms and accountancies face tax hike in 2022 August 9, 2021 Over half a million sole traders and partners may face higher tax bills than expected next year if a government proposal to change the date businesses report their profits is approved. Experts have said it would generate billions of pounds for the Treasury years ahead of the existing schedule for payments, according to a report [...]
London law firms launch first global crypto fraud network August 9, 2021 A network for crypto-related fraud has been launched by a group of law firms, including Grant Thornton, in a bid to make the UK a global centre for crypto dispute resolution, amid a rise in scams. The ‘Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery’ (CFAAR) network has been created with the aim of becoming a “known body [...]
Marlboro maker Philip Morris offers £1bn for British inhaler company August 9, 2021 Philip Morris has upped its bid for respiratory drugmaker Vectura to over £1bn as the takeover deal, which is being “closely monitored” by the government, has raised public interest questions. Philip Morris International (PMI) raised its offer to £1.65 per share, valuing Vectura at £1.02bn, after private equity firm Carlyle made an offer of £958m [...]
House prices rise but annual growth slows to 7.6 per cent as ‘steadier period’ predicted August 6, 2021 Houses prices rose again in July but slower annual growth suggests the market may be ‘cooling’, according to Halifax House Price Index data published today. The average cost of a property in the UK is now £261,221, up 0.4 per cent from June, adding £1,122 to the price of an average house. Annual growth fell [...]
Former Bain consultant hired by Pope to evaluate a Vatican administrative office August 6, 2021 Pope Francis has reportedly brought on a former Bain & Company consultant to help execute a new reform package in the Vatican. Pier Francesco Pinelli, now a partner at an Italian consulting firm, spent seven years as a senior manager at the big three firm’s Italian wing. Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich was asked by the [...]