A cheeky website about deals, dealmakers and anything else I find interesting. Edited by Ben Harrington. If you have a tip or want to discuss a story please feel free to email Betaville at ben@betaville.co.uk. 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.
Betaville IntelligenceTuesday, 2 March 2021, 12:11 am
Treasury Wine Estates, the Australia-listed wine distributor, is said to have now received a formal offer.
People following the situation have heard speculation Treasury Wine Estates recently received a takeover approach valuing the business at AUD$ 15.67 a share.
Some people following the situation suggested the approach may have come from Pernod Ricard, the France-listed drinks giant...
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersMonday, 1 March 2021, 7:23 pm
Friday, 26 February 2021, 7:24 pm
George Osborne says he is becoming a banker because he wants to do something "a bit more popular". Well, that was what he claims in his column in the excellent The Spectator magazine/website. Below is the link:
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/george-osborne-why-Im-going-into-banking..
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Betaville IntelligenceThursday, 25 February 2021, 6:40 pm
I see rivals at Bloomberg, decided to follow up yesterday's UNCOOKED alert with their own take on the DS Smith bid rumours. Below is a link to the Bloomberg "scoop".
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-24/mondi-said-to-weigh-deal-for-7-billion-packaging-rival-ds-smith..
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Wednesday, 24 February 2021, 5:04 pm
Never mind STAB; other investors are using BRATS as the investment acronym to describe the current (crazy?) market phenomenon driving the likes of Tesla etc to record highs.
BRATS stands for Bitcoin, Russell ETF, Cathy Wood's ARK ETF, Tesla and SPACS (special purpose acquisition vehicles).
If anybody else has got a better acronym, do get in touch via the usual channels.....
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Wednesday, 24 February 2021, 3:21 pm
Many of Betaville's readers will know what a FAANG is. But in case you don't, it's the acronym used to describe a basket of shares have been some of the best performing stocks of the last decade - Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google.
Anyway, apparently there is a new investment acronym being circulated finance types across the world: STAB...
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersWednesday, 24 February 2021, 3:04 pm
Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersTuesday, 23 February 2021, 11:18 am
Monday, 22 February 2021, 12:19 pm
Tucked away in the back of yesterday's Mail on Sunday's business section was a rather interesting nugget from Alex Lawson, a senior City hack on the paper.
Lawson's Stockwatch column reports Menzies Distribution could be about to pursue more acquistions after hiring Andy Clarke, the former Asda chief executive as chairman of the business...
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Friday, 19 February 2021, 5:46 pm
Omers, the Canadian investment giant, is said to have picked banks to carry out a bumper $2.5 billion flotation of ERM Group, the sustainability consultancy.
Last Autumn Bloomberg reported Omers Private Equity was weighing "strategic options" for ERM Group Inc, including a potential sale that could value the sustainability consultancy at as much as US$2.5 billion...
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Betaville IntelligenceThursday, 18 February 2021, 8:30 pm
There could be a dust up brewing between Groupe BPCE and investors in French bank Natixis.
According to Betaville's moles, some of the long only investors that have owned Natixis stock for quite some time are rather peeved at the price Groupe BPCE is paying to buy out the 29.3pc owned by public market investors...
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Betaville IntelligenceWednesday, 17 February 2021, 1:38 pm
Rivals are Bloomberg are claiming Carlyle is giving up on buying Signature Aviation after its subsidiary, Standard Aero, bought the London-listed company's engine, repair and overhaul unit for $230 million. Below is the link to Bloomie story:..
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersTuesday, 16 February 2021, 2:35 pm
Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersMonday, 15 February 2021, 3:54 pm
Betaville IntelligenceSaturday, 13 February 2021, 12:51 pm
After last week's excitement it might have passed you by that Dbay, the activist investor led by Colin Kingsnorth, has now accumulated just over 26pc of Telit Communications, the Aim-listed 'internet of things' provider.
Below is the link to the announcement:..
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Friday, 12 February 2021, 11:38 am
Quelle surprise: the Takeover Panel has just announced an auction as a solution to solve the G4S bid battle stalement was on the money.
Below is a link to the announcement of the auction and also my previous article:
https://www.investegate.co.uk/takeover-panel/rns/g4s-plc---auction-procedure-under-rule-32-5/202102121011599507O/..
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Betaville IntelligenceFriday, 12 February 2021, 8:32 am
Easyjet, the London-listed budget airline company, is at the centre of speculation it is set to launch another equity fundraising.
People following the situation have heard rumours easyJet is actively working with its advisers on a potential fundraising via a placing or rights issue.
However, it's not clear how much easyJet is looking to raise from investors. One person following the situation suggested easyJet could look to tap shareholders for up to £500 million...
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Exclusive to Betaville Intelligence subscribersThursday, 11 February 2021, 11:11 pm
Thursday, 11 February 2021, 11:43 am
Dealmaking seems to have gone into overdrive, with Microsoft making a $50 billion takeover approach for Pinterest, online-pinboard platform.
Well, that's according to rivals at the Financial Times. Below is a link to their execellent scoop:
https://www.ft.com/content/f88b8474-e791-4efb-a9f6-54c8222680fe..
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Wednesday, 10 February 2021, 5:48 pm
It would appear analysts at Morgan Stanley were bang on the money with their prediction that Upper Crust owner SSP would have to carry out a second equity issue.
Indeed, Alice Hancock and Gill Plimmer of the Financial Times have just dug out a rather good scoop suggesting SSP is looking to raise £500 million by way of a rights issue. That is more than double than what the company raised last year on the equity market. Below is a link to their piece:..
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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].