Why are UK mid caps in such an M&A sweetspot right now? February 22, 2021 It would be difficult to miss the fact that UK mid cap companies are attracting a renewed level of bid interest at present. So much so that, every morning, when I log in to my virtual workplace, I am mentally preparing myself to see a new headline about the next one to be bid for. [...]
Hi-de-hi, hi-de-buy? Blackstone in for Butlin’s owner January 15, 2021 US private equity firm Blackstone is closing in on a stake in the owner of Butlin’s holiday resorts as it looks to cash in on higher demand for staycations after the pandemic. The investment giant is in advanced talks with Bourne Leisure over acquiring a significant holding in a deal that values the company at [...]
Lego sales surge as housebound families play during lockdown September 2, 2020 Lego sales surged in the first half of the year as housebound families spent more time playing games during coronavirus lockdowns. Sales were up 14 per cent in the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period last year due to a jump in demand as more people stayed at home during the [...]
Alton Towers-owner Merlin Entertainments searches for new chair January 6, 2020 The owner of Alton Towers has launched a hunt for a new chairman two months after it was taken private in a £6bn deal. Merlin Entertainments has appointed headhunter Spencer Stuart to recruit a successor to its long serving chair Sir John Sunderland, Sky News reported. Read more: Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments secures takeover offer [...]
Sky-high skiing and Mario Kart sledding in France’s Three Valleys December 10, 2019 I’ve mastered the chair lift, and nine times out of 10 will make it to the top of a drag lift without ending up on my behind in the snow. The suggestion I received over drinks in a bar that I might want to try “skiing on a rope” at 100 km an hour, however, [...]
Pub companies: Is now the time to invest in a cheap pint? September 23, 2019 Investors in Greene King are raising a glass in celebration after Hong Kong’s richest man, Victor Li, agreed to buy the UK’s largest publicly-listed pub and brewery company for £4.6 billion (including net debt). A unit of Li’s investment vehicle, CK Asset Holdings, has bid 850 pence per share – more than a 50 per [...]
UK private equity deal values double during strong first half September 4, 2019 UK companies led European private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) activity during the first half of 2019, with the value of PE buyouts more than doubling. Overall PE buyout and related deal values for UK firms climbed to €23.3bn (£21.2bn) during the first half, an increase of 124 per cent on the €10.4bn seen [...]
Bain closes in on $4bn takeover of WPP data firm Kantar July 2, 2019 Bain Capital has entered into exclusive discussions to buy a majority stake in WPP’s data analytics firm Kantar in a deal worth roughly $4bn (£3.2bn). Read more: WPP to sell stake in sports marketing firm Chime Communications The deal would bring to an end a lengthy auction process which has seen bids from a series [...]
Snow deal: Merlin Entertainments sells off £100m Australian ski resorts February 22, 2019 Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments has sold off its Australian ski resort portfolio for almost £100m. The FTSE 250 group, which also owns London attractions such as Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and London Dungeons, said today that the "net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes". US mountain resort firm Vail Resorts, which has [...]
Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments’ share price falls as trading shows early signs of recovery October 16, 2018 Shares in Merlin Entertainments were down more than seven per cent this morning despite the Legoland owner reporting that 2018 forecasts were in line with market expectations. The group's Midway brands, which are driven by the London market and include Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, the Sea Life Centre and London Dungeons, have started to see early signs of [...]