A cheeky website about deals, dealmakers and anything else I find interesting. Edited by Ben Harrington. If you have a tip, want to discuss a story or have a subscription enquiry please feel free to email Betaville at [email protected]. Betaville can also be reached at Whats App, Signal or Telegram. Betaville's Twitter handle is @bharringtonw11 and you can message me via Twitter with stories.
Wednesday, 8 November 2023, 7:49 am
It begins.
There has been plenty of talk about consolidation among some of the London-listed Real Estate Investment Trusts over the last six months but so far not much action.
This morning, though, UK Commercial REIT Limited has been forced to confirm it is in all share merger talks with Picton Property Income Limited following "speculation". Below is a link to this morning's announcement:..
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Betaville IntelligenceMonday, 6 November 2023, 10:32 pm
After reducing his shareholding in Asos last month, the London-listed fashion retailer, Mike Ashley has now upped it again.
In late October, Frasers Group - which the billionaire retailer Ashley controls - reduced its stake in Asos from 23pc to 18.9pc. Below is the link to the announcement:..
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersMonday, 6 November 2023, 3:32 pm
Friday, 3 November 2023, 11:38 am
Veteran City columnist Alex Brummer has this morning dedicated most of his column in the Daily Mail to the BT Group bid rumour that been circulating the London market for the last four years (at least)...
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Betaville IntelligenceThursday, 2 November 2023, 4:35 pm
Apologies for the tardy update but just in case you missed it: Equals Group has confirmed it is in takeover talks following little old Betaville's UNCOOKED Alert.
Below is a link to the Equals Group announcement:
https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/EQLS/response-to-market-speculation/16192230..
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersWednesday, 1 November 2023, 11:27 am
Wednesday, 1 November 2023, 10:32 am
Hacks at The Times have done a good job of unpacking the shenanigans going on at Jersey-based oil and has explorer Upland Resources.
It would appear the company reveived a takeover approach from a "phanton" offeror. Now, you don't get many of those in the London market.
Anyway, if you want to read the whole story then little old Betaville suggests reading Jessica Newman and Emily Gosden's piece on this sorry affair by clicking on the link below:..
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Betaville IntelligenceWednesday, 1 November 2023, 7:21 am
Arch rivals at Bloomberg last night published a tale about Cytokinetics Inc, the US-listed late stage biotechnology company. Below is a link:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-31/biotech-cytokinetics-said-to-mull-options-amid-takeover-interest?leadSource=uverify%20wall..
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Tuesday, 31 October 2023, 7:54 am
Today's string of deals include the long awaited sale of Vodafone's Spanish unit to Zegona Communications for £4.3 billion. Below is a link to the announcement:
https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/ZEG/zegona-to-acquire-vodafone-spain-for-eur-5-0bn/16188392..
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Monday, 30 October 2023, 9:07 am
This week's round of dealmaking in the UK kicks off with Ascential's £1.4 billion sale of two bits of the group to marketing giant Omnicom and Apax.
This morning Ascential, the FTSE 250-listed business information and events group, announced a deal to sell its Digital Commerce unit to Omnicom for £741 million and also the sale of its product design unit (called WGSN) to buy out house Apax for £700 million...
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Betaville IntelligenceMonday, 30 October 2023, 6:50 am
So it emerged over the weekend that Asos, the London-listed online fashion retailer, is weighing a sale of TopShop...
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersFriday, 27 October 2023, 8:48 pm
Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersFriday, 27 October 2023, 8:47 pm
Thursday, 26 October 2023, 10:43 am
Advising clients to sell shares is back in vogue among the more traditional stockbrokers.
A decade ago or so the blue chip brokers used to write all sorts of negative equity research about London-listed companies but then the thought police took control...
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Thursday, 26 October 2023, 7:44 am
The old Kleinmanator is on fire!
This morning Mark "The Kleinmanator" Kleinman of Sky News reveals in is City AM column that WPP, the FTSE 100-listed advertising giant, has been at the centre of takeover rumours, suggesting American private equity firms Blackstone and Silver Lake are the two firms interested in buying the business. Below is the link to his piece:..
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Betaville IntelligenceWednesday, 25 October 2023, 9:49 pm
Apologies - it looks like little old Betaville got the recent Frasers Group stakebuilding announcement completely back to front.
It would appear Mike Ashley's Frasers Group has actually reduced its shareholding down from 23pc to 18.9pc. Below is a link to the announcement:..
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Betaville IntelligenceWednesday, 25 October 2023, 9:19 pm
Mike Ashley's Frasers Group has just topped its stake in Asos, the London-listed online fashion retailer.
Frasers Group this afternoon disclosed it now owns 23pc of Asos. Below is the link to the announcement:
https://otp.tools.investis.com/clients/uk/sports_direct1/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?cid=723&newsid=1728077..
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Wednesday, 25 October 2023, 9:09 pm
The old Kleinmanator has managed to edge out little old Betaville by getting to the bottom of the The Restaurant Group counterbid tale.
Kleiny, also known as Mark Kleinman of Sky News, has just revealed that the owners of Pizza Express, who include Bain Capital Credit and Cyrus Capital Partners, are weighing up whether to make a counter offer for The Restaurant Group after it recommended a £500 million takeover from Apollo, the US private equity firm...
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersTuesday, 24 October 2023, 5:37 pm
Tuesday, 24 October 2023, 11:14 am
Another day, another string of takeover deals.
This morning London-listed ScS announced it had recommended a £100 million offer from Italian furniture maker Poltronesofà. The 280p (including the dividend) a share cash offer from Poltronesofà is at a 67pc premium! Below is the link to the press release:..
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[Disclaimer - the information on Betaville does not consitute any form of investment recommendation and is not intended to be relied upon by readers in making, or refraining from, any investment decisions].