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.
Tuesday, 5 March 2024, 7:10 pm
Arch rivals at Bloomberg decided to run the Vimeo takeover rumour that has been circulating the European markets over the last couple of weeks.
According to Bloomie, Italian mobile app developer Bending Spoons is consdering a takeover of US-listed video hosting company Vimeo and has been talking to banks about doing the deal. Below is a link to the scoop:..
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Tuesday, 5 March 2024, 8:06 am
The UK is still proving to be a fertile hunting for overseas predators.
This morning US-based technology company Viavi announced the £1 billion plus takeover of Spirent Communications, the London-listed telecommunications testing company.
Below is a link to the full details of the 175p a share in cash offer for Spirent, which was also announced alongside a set of rather stinky results:..
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Betaville IntelligenceMonday, 4 March 2024, 7:50 pm
I see the venerable Financial Times ran a rather complimentary profile piece over the weekend of Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone's newish chief executive. Below is the link:
https://www.ft.com/content/629e8dfe-f680-4697-a309-2786d7eb3d98
Let's just say the timing of the publication of the piece is rather interesting .....
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Friday, 1 March 2024, 4:37 pm
The Wall Street Journal has just landed another cracking stateside deal scoop.
According to the WSJ, Boeing is in discussions to acquire SpiritAeroSystems, its struggling former unit at the center of numerous quality issues affecting 737 Max jets.
The aircraft parts supplier has hired bankers to explore strategic options and has had preliminary talks with Boeing, according to the WSJ..
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersThursday, 29 February 2024, 11:23 am
Wednesday, 28 February 2024, 12:25 pm
Arch rivals at Bloomberg have pulled their socks up a bit and are digging out a few decent scoops again.
According to Bloomie hacks Jan-Henrick Foerster and Pamela Barbaglia, ailing FTSE 250-listed insurer Direct Line received a takeover approach from Belgian insurer Ageas.
However, the approach was rejected, according to Bloomie. Below is a link to the Bloomberg scoop:..
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Betaville IntelligenceTuesday, 27 February 2024, 4:21 pm
Eli Lilly and Company's pursuit of Viking Therapeutics, the US-listed biopharmaceutical company developing obesity drugs, may have stalled.
People following the situation had heard speculation Eli Lilly had been trying to buy Viking for between $40 and $50 a share with a view to announcing a deal last week.
However, Viking decided the indicative price wasn't good enough and opted to announce its drug data, said people following the situation...
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Saturday, 24 February 2024, 11:15 am
Chums over at The Times have run a double page spread in the business section about the British mergers and acquisitions market.
Indeed, within the piece there were plenty of the customary on the record quotes from investment bankers talking up the prospect of more dealmaking but without getting so specific as to get themselves into hot water. Below is a link to the piece:..
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Betaville IntelligenceThursday, 22 February 2024, 10:29 am
It would appear little old Betaville's RARE Alert about London-listed Marlowe published on Tuesday was barking up the right tree.
Today, Marlowe confirmed it is selling off a sizeable division of the company to a private equity firm. Below is a link to this morning's press release with all the gory details and Tuesday's RARE Alert:..
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Wednesday, 21 February 2024, 5:51 pm
Today's move by Urban Logistics REIT to out its own all share pursuit of the Abrdn Property Income Trust is rather curious.
Below is a link today's press release, which claims Urban Logistics REIT lobbed in an indicative offer for Abrdn Property Income Trust last Friday...
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersTuesday, 20 February 2024, 2:39 pm
Tuesday, 20 February 2024, 7:50 am
American financial media outfits Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal were clearly onto something when they began to report yesterday that lender Capital One was in talks to buy credit card firm Discover Financial.
Overnight the deal was announced, with Warren Buffett-backed Capital One agreeing to buy Discover Financial for just over $35 billion in stock. Below is a link to the press release:..
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Monday, 19 February 2024, 1:01 pm
A good spot from the Evening Standard's City Spy column.
Hacks who write the column at the London-based free sheet discovered that new company has been formed at Companies House called 'Urban Logistics Bidco'. Below is a link to the company at Companies House:
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15394134/filing-history..
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Monday, 19 February 2024, 8:59 am
Chris Williams of The Daily Telegraph last night delivered a brilliant new line on the Currys takeover bid situation.
Williams revealed that chinese shopping giant JD.com is also considering making an offer for Currys. Below is a link to his scoop:..
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Saturday, 17 February 2024, 10:05 am
Mark "The Kleinmanator" Kleinman of Sky News has just popped up with a cracking Saturday morning scoop.
Elliott Advisors - the activist investor that owns British book chain Waterstones - is plotting a takeover bid for London-listed Currys, the electrical goods retailer, according to Kleiny, a former colleague during my time on the The Daily Telegraph.
Below is a link to the Kleinmanator's scoop in case you want to read the whole thing:..
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersFriday, 16 February 2024, 5:21 pm
Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersFriday, 16 February 2024, 4:59 pm
Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersFriday, 16 February 2024, 4:34 pm
Friday, 16 February 2024, 8:14 am
Bears gave Temenos, the Switzerland-listed banking software company, a good mauling yesterday.
Activist short seller Hindenburg Research, led by Nathan Anderson, unleashed a scathing research note containing a vast list of seriously punchy allegations. For legal reasons those allegations can't be repeated in these pixels but if you want to read them all I have pasted the link below:..
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Friday, 16 February 2024, 7:55 am
You can always realy on Dominic "Dom" Walsh to dig out a good line when he is writing the The Times stockmarket report.
The veteran business hack, who specialises in covering the consumer and leisure industries, writes in today's column in The Times business section that:..
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