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.
I bet property consultant WSP is feeling rather relieved that it didn't press ahead with the purchase of Sweett Group at the beginning of the year.
For readers that don't recall, I had a story that WSP - which is owned by Canada-based Genivar Inc - was on the verge of buying Sweett Group in early January but pulled out of the deal around the time the Aim-listed business made this announcement:
..
I wonder whether the market will finally find out whether Lazard has secured a role on the AbbVie/Shire deal?..
My "exclusive" story on the cancellation of the Land Registry privatisation is about to be confirmed, according to newspaper reports...
Sorry for the lack of posts in the last couple of days Betavillers. I have been down in deepest, darkest Kent with little access to the internet...
It appears I might have kicked hornet's nest with this Alliance Boots piece I published a couple of days ago.
Indeed, people close to the situation have been in touch and they weren't best pleased with what I wrote. Here is a link to the original article I published earlier in the week:
http://betaville123.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/something-afoot-with-boots.html..
I have been in two minds about publishing this piece but I have now run into a bit of a brick wall, so I have decided I may as well go with what I know.
Last week a good source hinted to me that there may be something untoward going on with Alliance Boots's debt.
Now, when I thought about this I have to admit it doesn't make a lot sense although clearly I am not in possession of all of the facts...
Here is a tale for Betaville readers that have been following the long, drawn out auction of Indesit, the Italian home appliances company that sponsors Arsenal Football Club...
Evening Betavillers - here's a little tale for you to ruminate on over the weekend.
I hear one of Japan's biggest financial institutions may be weighing a £2 billion plus takeover bid for rolling stock giant Porterbrook.
My banking sources have heard (unconfirmed) rumours that Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is keen on buying Porterbrook, which has been put up for sale by its shareholders. SMBC declined to comment...
Hat tip to Bryce Elder, the stock market reporter over at the Financial Times, for landing the best M&A story of the morning and who looks to be on a bit of deals story winning streak (remember last week Bryce broke the story about the Dialog and AMS merger - time for a pay rise, Ed?)...
I see reports are emerging that Dutch financial services giant ING is on the verge of listing its insurance arm in what should be one of the biggest IPO's of the year...
Interesting to see Mike Ashley's Sports Direct deny speculation that the company is planning buy shoe chain Office. Here is a link to the statement from Sports Direct: http://www.investegate.co.uk/sports-direct-intl---spd-/rns/trade-speculation---office/201406300700158347K/..
Ever heard of Aim-listed Shaft Sinkers? Neither had I until a contact pointed out that yesterday the stock leapt 20pc for no good reason...
The mystery surrounding Lazard's role in the Shire/AbbVie deal continues...
The odds on Lazard turning up as an adviser to a bidder for Shire appear to be improving after it emerged the FTSE-100 listed company has appointed Goldman Sachs to its defence advisory team...
It struck me as I was going over the weekend media coverage of AbbVie's £27 billion takeover bid for FTSE 100-listed Shire that something was missing. That something is Lazard...
The Sunday Times and Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv have unearthed an explosive new angle on the missing skyscraper story I have been running on Betaville over the last couple of months...
If you are following the Shire takeover situation, this latest Tip TV clip could be of interest: http://www.tiptv.co.uk/archives/tip-tv-highlight-ben-harrington-20-06-2014/..
Great hit from Olivia Oran and Mike Stone over at Reuters with a story about AbbVie's £26 billion plus takeover approach for London-listed Shire...
It would appear Whirlpool is still in the running to buy Fineldo's majority stake in Indesit, the Italian home appliances company that sponsors Arsenal Football Club. ..
[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].