‘PE to PE’ deals soar as firms rush to offload $2.3 trillion post-pandemic dry powder October 4, 2021 Private equity to private equity deals, whereby groups sell UK companies to each other, have jumped by 44 per cent in the past year, as firms rush to please investors and deploy capital accumulated during the coronavirus crisis. The number of so-called “PE to PE” deals increased by 44 per cent to 85 in the [...]
Supermarkets bleed sales thanks to food shortages October 3, 2021 The country’s largest supermarkets have lost out on more than £2bn sales this year so far thanks to food shortages. Leading retailers – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – lost out on sales during the first nine months of the year, according to data shared with trade magazine The Grocer. The sector has been hit [...]
CD&R wins takeover battle for Morrisons at auction with £7bn bid October 3, 2021 US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice has beaten the Fortress Investment consortium at auction for Morrisons with a bid of £7bn for the supermarket. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) bid 287 pence per share – 2 pence per share above their existing offer and just a penny above the 286 pence offered by [...]
Tesco gears up to announce interim results amid sector’s driver chaos October 3, 2021 Supermarket behemoth Tesco is expected to reveal a big share buyback programme this week, alongside setting out plans to overcome supply chain disruption. Tesco’s buyback scheme will run in parallel to its normal dividend, The Sunday Times reported, with no expected plans for a special dividend. The grocer will post its interim results on Wednesday, [...]
Angry EU suspends trade talks with Australia after £48bn submarine row October 1, 2021 The European Union said this morning it is suspending trade talks between the bloc and Australia following a dispute over Canberra’s decision to cancel a multibillion-euro submarine deal with France. Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the EU commission spokesperson in charge of trade, confirmed the decision but did not give any specific reason for the postponement. The [...]
BREAKING: Angry EU suspends trade talks with Australia after £48bn submarine row – CityAM : CityAM October 1, 2021 The European Union said this morning it is suspending trade talks between the bloc and Australia following a dispute over Canberra’s decision to cancel a multibillion-euro submarine deal with France. Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the EU commission spokesperson in charge of trade, confirmed the decision but did not give any specific reason for the postponement. The [...]
Deliveroo muscles in on rapid grocery delivery in London with Morrisons tie-up September 30, 2021 Deliveroo has made an entrance into the crowded rapid grocery delivery market by launching “Hop”, a partnership with Morrisons that will deliver groceries in south London from a dedicated “dark store”. Hop promises to deliver in “as little as 10 minutes” and launches today for initial delivery to residents in Vauxhall and Battersea in south [...]
Analysis: What the fuel crisis is all about and what may happen next September 30, 2021 Despite the government urging people to stop “panic-buying” petrol and return to their normal pattern of purchasing, pumps have run dry in some forecourts. Here City A.M. helps you to understand what is happening and who is involved. So who are the biggest players? The UK’s biggest operator is the Motor Fuel Group. Other companies [...]
Crunch time: Morrisons takeover battle to culminate in one-day auction this weekend September 29, 2021 A months-long multibillion pound takeover battle for Morrisons will culminate in a one-day auction on Saturday, the UK’s takeover watchdog has confirmed. The stock market’s Takeover Panel said it would run a bidding process of up to five rounds this weekend because neither of the private equity bidders Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and the Fortress [...]
Time running out for Morrisons sale as suitors have until Saturday to submit final bids September 29, 2021 Suitors for Morrisons have until Saturday to make final bids for the supermarket as the stock market’s Takeover Panel announced the launch of an auction process this morning. Private equity houses Fortress and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), who have both made non-binding bids, will now take part in an auction which launches on October [...]