Government to back Diageo China bid November 7, 2010 THE government will throw its weight behind Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh this week as the drinks giant bids for a controlling stake in one of China’s biggest spirits-makers. Diageo is awaiting clearance for the bid from Chinese authorities, with foreign takeovers usually viewed in a critical light. The coalition-led trade group arriving in China [...]
Dudley could cut dividends at BP by half November 7, 2010 OIL giant BP is seriously considering halving its dividend once it resumes payments to shareholders, according to people close to the company and news reports over the weekend. New chief executive Bob Dudley has privately briefed shareholders about his plans to reduce the dividend, and is plotting as much as a 50 per cent cut, [...]
Sunday could be the day to take on Blues November 5, 2010 LIVERPOOL v/s CHELSEA SUNDAY, 4.00PM, SKY SPORTS THERE is only one point separating Blackburn and Wigan towards the bottom of the table and both clubs will be preparing themselves for another long, hard relegation struggle. This is far from the most exciting fixture of the weekend, but that doesn’t matter if a good bet can [...]
England can impress in Investec Series opener November 5, 2010 ENGLAND vs NEW ZEALAND TOMORROW, 2.00PM, SKY SPORTS Martin Johnson gets the chance to show how his England team have progressed since their excellent 21-20 victory over Australia in June, as the autumn internationals get underway tomorrow at Twickenham. England face the toughest possible opener against the All Blacks, who will be seething after they [...]
Peacocks sale is called off November 5, 2010 The owners of Peacocks, the discount fashion retailer, have called off talks to sell the company after prospective buyers opted against stumping up the £500m price tag, according to Sky News. Bain Capital and Blackstone, the two remaining bidders for the company, have decided not to make formal offers after indicating that they were not [...]
News Corp is facing long Sky bid delay November 5, 2010 RUPERT Murdoch was yesterday assessing how much damage a probe into his proposed bid to bring BSkyB back under the News Corp umbrella could cause. Business secretary Vince Cable stepped in to order a preliminary investigation into the bid by media watchdog Ofcom, with a full EU probe also on the cards. At the very [...]
HOW BIG IS RUPERT’S HEADACHE? November 5, 2010 Q.SO WHO IS INVESTIGATING THE NEWS CORP BID? A.Business secretary Vince Cable has asked communications watchdog Ofcom to prepare a report for him. Cable will then decide whether an investigation by the Competition Commission should be launched. The European Competition Commission will also decide whether it will launch a separate investigation after being notified of [...]
SAV Credit and Blackstone team prepare to up offer for Egg bank November 2, 2010 SAV Credit, the owner of the Marbles and Aqua credit card businesses, has teamed up with private equity group Blackstone to prepare an offer for internet bank Egg. SAV and Blackstone are expected to make a joint offer to current owner Citigroup later this month, according to a report by Sky News. Citi’s auction to [...]
BP’s Hayward in line for Temasek role October 28, 2010 TONY Hayward, the former chief executive of BP who stepped down at the beginning of this month, is believed to have been approached to take a role at Temasek Holdings, the Singaporean state investment fund. Hayward has been holding talks with Temasek about a possible appointment to its international advisory panel. Last month Hayward spoke [...]
Don’t take the Little Pea out of Man United October 28, 2010 MANCHESTER UNITED vs TOTTENHAM TOMORROW, 5.30PM, ESPN JAVIER HERNANDEZ’S late goal against Stoke could be the first of many turning points in the Premier League this season. His first half back header was an unbelievable piece of skill, but the three points were all that mattered for Sir Alex Ferguson and they now have Chelsea [...]