WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 20, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES PFIZER WEIGHS PLANS FOR $3BN PART-IPO Pfizer is weighing plans to raise about $3bn this year through a part-flotation of its animal health division, as the drugs giant examines the best way to spin off a business valued at as much as $18bn. The pharmaceuticals group, the world’s second largest by market capitalisation, [...]
Payment via mobile moves a step closer February 20, 2012 THE UK’s largest telecoms companies are making headway in bringing cashless payment via mobile phone to the masses, as the cluster intends to file an application with the European Commission (EC) soon. Orange and T-Mobile (under umbrella group Everything Everywhere) joined forces with Vodafone and O2 parent Telefonica last year with the aim of creating a [...]
Manchester Airport overhaul hints at interest in BAA sites February 15, 2012 MANCHESTER Airport could make a bid for one of BAA’s airports in the coming months, after its supervisors laid out a new ownership structure to allow it to expand. Manchester Airport Group is in talks with the local councils that own it, with a view to attracting a private investor to beef up its purchasing [...]
Ever-increasing regulation is boosting compliance careers February 8, 2012 ADL PARTNERS FIVE years ago I was working on a compliance mandate for an investment bank. As well as compliance professionals, the client was open to seeing individuals from other professions, in this case legal. Yet to retain the interest of lawyers and stop them from terminating the conversation it was imperative not to mention [...]
Glencore’s deal with Xstrata faces long road to clearance February 7, 2012 GLENCORE and Xstrata’s $90bn (£57bn) merger faces a long road to reach regulatory and competition clearance. While bigger commodities tie-ins have been cleared in the past – such as the deals that formed Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton – merging a clearing house with a miner could encounter new hurdles, analysts said yesterday after the [...]
EU competition law thwarts Vodafone’s Greek merger deal February 5, 2012 VODAFONE will scrap a $1bn merger of its Greek business with a local competitor due to the belief that EU regulatory authorities will block the deal. The deal with Wind Hellas will be called off due to “regulatory uncertainty” on EU competition law. The turmoil of the Greek economy, which is in a deep recession, [...]
It ain’t over until Ivan Glasenberg sings February 2, 2012 IT ain’t over till Ivan Glasenberg sings. Everyone knows the rationale for the deal: massive scale, a raft of cost-saving synergies, and a much-improved presence for Glencore in commodity markets. Indeed one of the main reasons the famously secretive Glencore went public was so it could bag Xstrata, whose other shareholders were cold on a [...]
Osborne to hand treasury new powers over BoE January 27, 2012 The finance ministry will have new powers to order the Bank of England to pump money into the financial system in any future banking crisis. “When taxpayers’ money is at risk in a crisis this legislation gives the Chancellor the power to direct the Bank of England to act,” Osborne said in a speech to [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING January 26, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES OUTSOURCER SERCO TO CUT 500 JOBS Serco, the FTSE 100 outsourcer, is to overhaul its management structure, axeing at least 500 jobs, as it adapts to tougher market conditions in the UK, according to people close to the company. The group, which runs services including London’s bicycle hire scheme and four prisons, is [...]
Vodafone victory in India tax battle January 20, 2012 India’s tax office has no jurisdiction over Vodafone’s purchase of mobile assets in India, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday, in a big relief to the telecom giant that has been fighting a $2.2bn (£1.4bn) tax bill in a long-running dispute anxiously watched by foreign investors in India. Vodafone, challenging the tax bill over its [...]