Property fund Pradera, backed by UK private wealth partnership LJ Partnership, buys 25 Ikea retail parks across Europe in €900m deal March 8, 2017 A retail property fund and asset manager has agreed a €900m (£780m) deal for 25 Ikea retail parks across Europe. Pradera, which is backed by UK-based private wealth partnership LJ Partnership, is buying centres in eight countries across the continent as part of the deal. The retail parks, situated next to Ikea stores, comprise around 500 [...]
Part of British chipmaker Arm to be sold to Saudi-backed Softbank Vision Fund March 8, 2017 Softbank is reportedly selling part of newly acquired British chipmaker Arm to its Saudi-backed investment fund. After snapping up the firm for £24bn in a shock mega-deal just weeks after the vote to leave the European Union last June, the Japanese conglomerate is now selling a 25 per cent stake to its Vision Fund, the Financial Times reports, [...]
Foreign takeovers in the UK hit record levels last year as Megabrew and BG-Shell deals completed March 7, 2017 Foreign takeovers of British companies reached record levels last year as mega-deals announced during 2015 were tied up. In 2016, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) tracked 227 foreign takeovers, the highest annual number since 2011, worth £187.4bn, the highest total value since records began in 1969. These figures were boosted by AB InBev’s £79bn [...]
Mike Ashley wants you to know something about his Agent Provocateur takeover March 7, 2017 Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley's recent foray into frilly knickers may have raised eyebrows – but he wants you to know it wasn't just him who bought the lingerie retailer. In a statement today, Sports Direct clarified the £30m acquisition was made by Four Holdings, a company in which it owns a 25 per cent [...]
Standard Life-Aberdeen deal expected to spark M&A flurry in asset management industry March 6, 2017 Standard Life (SL) and Aberdeen Asset Management’s £11bn merger is expected to prompt a flurry of fund management consolidation, industry experts said yesterday. The companies’ share prices rocketed after they confirmed the terms of their deal, despite City uncertainty over plans for Keith Skeoch and Martin Gilbert to be co-chief executives. Read more: Standard Life [...]
Government cannot intervene to safeguard Vauxhall jobs, say experts March 6, 2017 The UK government is powerless to challenge or influence PSA’s merger with the owner of Vauxhall from a legal perspective, experts have said. The owner of Peugeot and Citroen revealed this morning it had reached an agreement with General Motors (GM) to merge European operations in a deal that values the combined business at €2.2bn [...]
Murdoch Empire 2.0 or socialist witch-hunt? MPs debate Fox-Sky deal as culture secretary decides whether to refer bid to Ofcom March 6, 2017 Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is preparing to make its case to culture secretary Karen Bradley as she decides whether to submit the company’s takeover bid for Sky News to broadcast regulator Ofcom. Interested parties have until Wednesday afternoon to submit representations to Bradley. Read more: Government "minded" to scrutinise Fox takeover of Sky After [...]
Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management deal: How the City is reacting March 6, 2017 Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management have unveiled more details of their planned merger, sending shares in both groups up at the open. Standard Life's stock was up 7.24 per cent at pixel time, while Aberdeen had risen 5.73 per cent. After reports emerged over the weekend, the companies confirmed their intentions to combine this [...]
Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management announce merger plans March 6, 2017 Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management have agreed terms of a recommended all-share merger. The firms announced the plans to the Stock Exchange this morning, confirming reports of a deal over the weekend. Shares in Standard Life jumped nine per cent at the open, while Aberdeen's stock was up six per cent. Aberdeen shareholders will [...]
Agent Provocateur founder Joe Corre: My brand was “dropped like a pair of dirty knickers” March 6, 2017 Agent Provocateur co-founder Joe Corre has branded the £30m sale of the lingerie retailer “a scandal on many levels”. Corre, the son of iconic fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, said his brand was “dropped like a pair of dirty knickers”. Agent Provocateur was put up for sale by 3i in January. Last week, administrators Alix Partners sold the [...]