Alibaba agrees $4.3bn merger with Youku Tudou November 6, 2015 Alibaba has bought Chinese online entertainment company Youku Tudou for $4.3bn (£2.8bn) in a bid to increase its presence in China's booming online video sector. The price represents a premium of 35.1 per cent over the closing price of Youku Tudou shares the day before Alibaba signalled its takeover intentions. Alibaba upped its original offer [...]
Candy Crush maker King Digital bought by US games giant Activision Blizzard for $5.9bn November 3, 2015 Activision Blizzard, the US gaming giant behind Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, announced this morning it's bought iPhone games developer King Digital, the European company behind the notoriously addictive Candy Crush, for $5.9bn (£3.8bn). The company said it will pay $18 per share for the company, a 20 per cent premium over King's closing price [...]
Visa Inc share price down as it agrees to buy former subsidiary Visa Europe for €21.2bn November 2, 2015 Visa Inc announced this morning it has reached a deal to buy its former subsidiary Visa Europe for as much as €21.2bn (£15bn). The consolidation of Visa Europe's 500 million card accounts, worth more than €1.5 trillion, will create a single global payments company. The upfront payment comprises of €11.5bn in cash and €5bn-worth of preferred stock (which pays fixed dividends, taking [...]
Allergan share price soars on confirmation of possible mega-merger with Pfizer October 29, 2015 Allergan has confirmed it is considering joining forces with Pfizer to create the world's biggest drugs company. In a statement, the company said it was "in preliminary friendly discussions regarding a potential business combination transaction" with Pfizer. It added that there was no guarantee of a deal: No agreement has been reached and there can [...]
Forbes most valuable sport business brands 2015: Nike beats Adidas and Under Armour as Sky Sports tops UK companies October 23, 2015 Nike has been named the most valuable brand in sport, beating competition from Adidas, Under Armour and Sky Sports. According to Forbes magazine, the sportswear giant is worth almost £17bn – nearly £6bn more than any other sports business brand in the world. Walt Disney-owned ESPN follows with a value of £11bn, while Nike's rivals in [...]
Prime Minister David Cameron appoints Alibaba’s Jack Ma to his Business Advisory Group October 19, 2015 Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma has been appointed to Prime Minister David Cameron's Business Advisory Group (BAG). Number 10 announced the appointment today, ahead of a four-day state visit by China's President Xi Jingping. Commenting on the appointment today, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: "This is about appointing someone who has real business [...]
Will Square’s IPO be a success with chief executive Dorsey distracted by Twitter? October 15, 2015 Another day, another IPO – this time it's Square, the mobile payments company founded after Jack Dorsey was forced to leave Twitter, which has ended months of speculation by officially filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission to go public. Square is looking to raise $275m (£177m) from the IPO. In its filing, Square, which [...]
London’s pharma sector gets a boost as Shield and Faron announce plans to float in the capital October 12, 2015 The Chinese market turmoil has not destroyed confidence in the UK's pharmaceutical sector, as two companies today announced plans to float in the capital. Newcastle-based Shield Therapeutics and Finnish Faron Pharmaceuticals are both planning to launch their IPOs on the London Stock Exchange in the near future, although neither confirmed definite dates. Read [...]
RACE: Ferrari speeds off the starting grid as Fiat Chrysler launches IPO October 12, 2015 The flotation of luxury car maker Ferrari sped off the starting grid with a throaty roar this morning, as Fiat Chrysler, its parent company, announced the launch of its IPO. The company, which owns 90 per cent of Ferrari, said it will sell a nine per cent stake in the company at somewhere between $48 and [...]
Investment fund for cyber crime hunters to float September 27, 2015 The first investment fund focused solely on companies battling cyber crime lists on the London Stock Exchange today. The exchange traded fund (ETF), called the ETFS ISE Cyber Security Ucits ETF, will launch in London nearly a year after it made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange. The fund, which invests in an [...]