The EU Commission has opened an in-depth probe into the massive London Stock Exchange – Deutsche Borse merger September 28, 2016 The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation in to whether the planned £21bn merger between Deutsche Borse AG (DB) and London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) would reduce competition in financial markets. The proposed merger would combine the exchanges of Germany, the UK and Italy, as well as several of the largest European clearing houses, and create by [...]
Lufthansa board approves plans to take over Brussels Airlines September 28, 2016 German airline Lufthansa said today that its supervisory board has approved plans to buy the remaining chunk of Brussels Airlines that it didn't already own. The carrier bought 45 per cent of Brussels Airlines owner SN Airholding in 2009 for €65m (£56m), with the option of buying the other 55 per cent from 2011 onwards. Lufthansa [...]
Ab InBev shareholders approve Megabrew deal with SABMiller September 28, 2016 Ab InBev shareholders have given their backing to the proposed Megabrew deal with SABMiller. Investors in Anheuser-Busch InBev voted on the £79bn takeover of its rival at a meeting in Brussels this morning. "We are pleased that our shareholders' vote brings us one step closer to combining our companies, teams, strong heritage and passion for brewing," said [...]
UK Mail delivers substantial returns to shareholders as it agrees terms for £243m takeover by Deutsche Post September 28, 2016 Shares in private postal company UK Mail leapt over 40 per cent this morning after its board announced it had a agreed terms for a takeover by Deutsche Post. The deal values the FTSE-listed company at £243m and the cash offer of 440p a share represented a 43 per cent premium to yesterday's closing price. Read more: [...]
M&A slowdown crosses the Atlantic ahead of US Presidential Election September 27, 2016 Corporate dealmaking across the pond is slowing ahead of the US Presidential Election, fresh research has shown. The number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) taking place in North America has dropped 15 per cent so far this year, according to advisers Willis Towers Watson, while Europe is on course to set a post-crisis high in [...]
Four things you need to know ahead of tomorrow’s Megabrew vote September 27, 2016 Tomorrow morning, SABMiller shareholders will cast their final votes at a High Court meeting on whether to give the green light to a £79bn takeover from the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev. If the tie-up has escaped your attention so far, rest assured: you need to know about it. To help you catch up, here [...]
Twitter’s share price has jumped on reports of Disney interest, though Disney’s have dipped September 26, 2016 Entertainment behemoth Walt Disney is plotting a bid for Twitter, it has been reported. Disney is working with a financial adviser to evaluate a possible bid according to Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter. Shares in the social media firm leapt on the news, though Disney investors were not as thrill by the news. Twitter's stock price [...]
Baltic Exchange shareholders vote in favour of Singapore Exchange acquisition and announce appointment of new chief executive September 26, 2016 Shareholders in the Baltic Exchange have voted to approved the proposed acquisition of the company by Singapore Exchange (SGX). SGX said today that Baltic Exchange investors had approved all the resolutions required in connection with the proposed scheme of arrangement for the acquisition. “We are very pleased at the outcome of the vote and thank Baltic’s [...]
CBOE Holdings to buy BATS Global Markets for $3.2bn September 26, 2016 CBOE Holdings is to buy BATS Global Markets for $3.2bn (£2.5bn).. CBOE (Chicago Board Options Exchange) will pay around $32.50 per share for the stock exchange operator. The deal will consist of 31 per cent cash and 69 per cent CBOE stock, based on CBOE Holdings' closing stock price of $70.30 per share on 23 September, 2016. Shares in [...]
A stake in Rolling Stone magazine has been sold to a startup September 25, 2016 The owner of iconic music magazine Rolling Stone has sold a stake in the publication to a Singapore startup to push it beyond media and into live events and more. BandLab technologies, a social music making startup, will take a 49 per cent stake in the music magazine owned by Wenner Media, which also publishes US Weekly and Men's [...]