Morrisons’ biggest shareholder refuses to back £6.3bn Fortress-led takeover bid July 27, 2021 Morrisons’ largest shareholder has announced “it is not inclined to support” a £6.3bn takeover bid by a consortium led by SoftBank-owned Fortress. Silchester International Investors, which owns 15.1 per cent of Morrisons, said in a statement on Tuesday evening that “there is little in the recommended offer that could not be achieved by Morrison as [...]
Green economy Spac Spinnaker plots London stock market float July 26, 2021 A special purpose acquisition company (Spac) focused on sustainability and green energy is planning an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange. Spinnaker Acquisitions — a blank-cheque firm that will target mergers in the green economy — will list in London this week. The company said it will target businesses valued at between £5m [...]
Cash holdings: UK corporates’ £109bn warchest increasingly a rival to private equity in M&A July 26, 2021 UK corporates have seen their aggregate net cash holdings rise from £20bn to £109bn since March 2020 and the start of the Covid pandemic, a jump of 500 per cent. The build up in cash balances has been so dramatic that UK corporates are increasingly seen as a serious rival to private equity funds in [...]
Bankers, lawyers and advisers set to enjoy £300m in fees from Morrisons sale July 23, 2021 Over £300m in fees stands to be gained by those involved in the £6.3bn sale of Morrisons, documents have revealed according to a report. Shareholders in Morrisons will vote on a £6.3bn takeover bid from a trio of private investment groups led by SoftBank-owned Fortress on 16 August. If the deal goes ahead, private equity [...]
City’s law firms navigate choppy pandemic seas with aplomb July 22, 2021 Despite the disruption caused by Covid-19, City law firms have continued to display strong financial results as senior partners head off on long-awaited summer breaks. Ashurst, currently advising Morrisons on a £6.3bn takeover, saw their revenue rise 10 per cent from £644 million to £711 million. Additionally, profit per equity partner rose 15 per cent [...]
Visa to buy London payments firm Currencycloud for £700m July 22, 2021 Visa has inked a deal to buy London payments group Currencycloud in the latest move by a US buyer to swoop on the booming British tech sector. The financial services giant today said the deal builds on an existing partnership between the companies and values Currencycloud at £700m inclusive of cash and retention incentives. However, [...]
Morrisons shareholders to vote on Fortress-led takeover bid on 16 August July 22, 2021 Shareholders in Morrisons will vote on a £6.3bn takeover bid from a trio of private investment groups led by SoftBank-owned Fortress on 16 August. In a document outlining Fortress Investment’s offer, Morrisons today said a court meeting and a general meeting of shareholders would be held on the August date. Fortress’ offer for the British [...]
Pandemic boost: Pharmacy2U’s online product delivery climbs to 17m July 21, 2021 Pharmacy2U has delivered over 17m medicines since the start of the pandemic, figures from the Leeds-based online pharmacy showed today. The e-pharmacy, well-known for its repeat prescriptions service, has seen a sharp increase in customers ordering medicines online. The company has grown its operations to support the work of the NHS and adapt to stay-at-home [...]
Apollo pulls out of Morrisons takeover talks but could join Fortress-led bid July 20, 2021 Apollo Global Management has pulled out of its takeover talks to acquire Morrisons, but is in discussions to join the group leading the charge to buy the British supermarket chain. In a statement published this morning, the private equity firm said: “Apollo confirms that it does not intend to make an offer for Morrisons other [...]
BlackRock flexes shareholder muscle and ups votes against company management July 20, 2021 The world’s largest asset manager has toughened its stance on corporate governance and increased its votes against board proposals and executive pay at large public companies worldwide. In its quarterly stewardship report published on Tuesday, BlackRock said it voted against management on 33 per cent of “say-on-pay” proposals in European companies in the year to [...]