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.

Vimeo said to draw takeover interest from Bending Spoons, reveals Bloomberg

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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Deals, Deals, Deals ... in a bear market - Part 63

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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Boeing in talks to by SpiritAerosystems, reveals the Wall Street Journal

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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Direct Line said to have received and rejected Ageas takeover approach, reveals Bloomberg

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 Intelligence

UNCOOKED ALERT: Viking Therapeutics Inc said to ... - Part 3

Tuesday, 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 review: Crest Nicholson, RS Group and Watches of Switzerland...

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 Intelligence

RARE ALERT: Marlowe said to ... - Part 2

Thursday, 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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Tags: Marlowe

Capital One agrees to buy Discover Financial for $35 billion

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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The newspaper City diary, the newly formed company and the mystery takeover bid ...

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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Waterstones owner said to plot £700 million takeover bid for Currys, reveals Sky News

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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Bears maul Temenos ...

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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[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].