Goldman Sachs returns to the top of 2010 M&A league January 3, 2011 GOLDMAN Sachs was the top global mergers and acquisitions advisor last year, retaking the position from rival Morgan Stanley, which derailed its multiyear grip on the ranking in 2009. Investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were neck-and-neck in the M&A stakes throughout the year, according to Thomson Reuters data, ahead of rivals JP Morgan, [...]
Market for private tech firms soars January 3, 2011 A GROWING and largely unregulated market in privately owned shares has sprung up as technology firms continue to rise in value exponentially. Investors are clamouring to own a stake in the next major internet firm before they are publically traded, driving the biggest surge in demand for privately-owned tech companies since the dotcom boom. Facebook [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS January 3, 2011 Barclays Corporate Ian Gilmartin has been promoted to Barclays Corporate’s retail and wholesale team as corporate director. He was formerly head of marketing services in the tech and media sector. In his new job, he will be working with Richard Lowe, head of the retail division, and will be adding to his 16 years’ experience [...]
Rio Tinto gets ready to offer £2.5bn to take over Australia’s Riversdale Mining December 22, 2010 MINING group Rio Tinto could announce its A$3.8bn (£2.5bn) offer for Riversdale Mining today, before time runs out on Riversdale’s trading suspension on the Australian stock exchange. Talks between the two companies were ongoing yesterday, with Rio understood to be offering around A$16 a share for Mozambique-focused Riversdale. Riversdale could instead announce a longer suspension [...]
Usmanov hints at £700m Arsenal offer December 21, 2010 ARSENAL’S second largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov has reignited the battle for ownership at Emirates Stadium by declaring his intention to move to the brink of launching a formal £700m takeover offer. Russian billionaire Usmanov already owns almost 27 per cent of the Premier League outfit, but wants to increase that to 29.9 per cent – [...]
The City is back but under new management December 21, 2010 BRITAIN’S financial landscape has been transformed since we last shone a light on the City’s most powerful figures two years ago. The City A.M./CityJet Power Hundred 2011 list ranks the most influential figures in UK finance as we head into the new year. It should be no surprise that it is very different from 2009. [...]
Currency wars and rate hikes: another year in emerging FX December 21, 2010 CHEAP money and attractive returns have seen investors plough their money into emerging market currencies. Yet hot money inflows have forced currency appreciation despite authorities’ best efforts at capital controls and other methods of weakening their exchange rates. Thanks to highly accommodative monetary policy in the West and efforts to remain competitive among the emerging [...]
Russia tycoon creates new potash giant December 20, 2010 A RUSSIAN billionaire moved yesterday to create the world’s second-largest potash miner by uniting Russia’s top two producers, Uralkali and Silvinit, in a $1.4bn (£900m) deal. Uralkali, which like Silvinit is effectively controlled by Russian mining-to-banking tycoon Suleiman Kerimov, offered to buy rival Silvinit for cash and shares. Uralkali’s offer for 20 per cent of [...]
Algeria mulls offer for BP assets December 19, 2010 ALGERIA is considering snapping up assets oil giant BP wants to sell in the country, before it allows another firm to buy them. Russian oil company TNK-BP wants to buy BP’s assets in Algeria, which include stakes in two major gas-producing fields, but Algerian state energy firm Sonatrach has the right of first refusal. BP’s [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING December 19, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES APAX PLANS €11BN FUND Apax Partners aims to cement its position as Europe’s biggest private equity group next year by raising a new €11bn-plus ($14.5bn) fund – the biggest buy-out fundraising since the start of the credit crisis. Led by Martin Halusa, who replaced Sir Ronald Cohen as head of Apax six years [...]