The Rio line up
Tuesday, 9 December 2014, 1:06 am
Here is an interesting snippet on the Rio Tinto/Glencore situation...
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.
Weekend review on Shire, Merck, Cubist, Crystal Amber and J Sainsbury
Sunday, 7 December 2014, 9:01 pm
Hat tip to David Gelles of The New York Times for landing the scoop about US drugs giant Merck talking to Cubist Pharmaceuticals about a takeover deal of more than $7 billion...
Back on Tip TV talking about Bwin, Ladbrokes and rather large resource deals
Friday, 5 December 2014, 10:48 pm
..A revealing question: is Permira also punting on Bwin?
Thursday, 4 December 2014, 6:18 pm
Apologies for a headline that posits a question. The problem is Betaville's best sources are certain Permira is the private equity firm that is taking a look at Bwin.party Digital Entertainment. However, people familiar with the private equity firm have tried to pour cold water on the tale, denying the buy-out shop has any interest in the online gaming company. Talk about awkward. ..
Vodafone, Vodafone - part 2
Thursday, 4 December 2014, 5:56 pm
There appear to be some pretty divergent views within the financial media about what mega deal Vodafone is planning to do next.
Last Friday Bloomberg reported that Vodafone was looking at a $130 billion merger with Jon Malone's Liberty Global: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-28/vodafone-said-to-eye-takeover-of-malone-s-liberty-global.html..
Chinese said to be circling Premier League - again - Part 3
Wednesday, 3 December 2014, 8:33 pm
I see Dalian Wanda, the multi-billion dollar Chinese conglomerate, is still getting a lot of attention in the British newspaper business pages - this time for getting into pig farming and pork production. Here is a link to a Financial Times piece on the topic: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a3571d66-7a26-11e4-8958-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3KpuRbCmr..
Chinese said to be circling Premier League - again - part 2
Tuesday, 2 December 2014, 6:39 pm
I see most of today's broadsheet newspaper business sections have given Dalian Wanda's interest in buying a stake in Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, the US studio behind "The Hunger Games", a lot of space and attention...
Playtech/Sagi said to be punting on Bwin
Tuesday, 2 December 2014, 2:18 am
Here is an interesting snippet on a live M&A situation...
Two Betaville scoops confirmed on one Winter's morning
Monday, 1 December 2014, 6:02 pm
Here is something to cheer you up on a cold, grey Monday morning - a couple of my Betaville """"""exclusive""""" jackanories have just been confirmed. ..
Banks edge closer to £400 million Mouchel sale; Kier in the running
Saturday, 29 November 2014, 7:58 pm
It sounds like the Mouchel sale I was talking about on Tip TV yesterday morning is getting closer to completion...
Vodafone, Vodafone
Saturday, 29 November 2014, 2:37 am
..Back on Tip TV talking about Kier Group - again - Friends Life and the telecoms sector
Friday, 28 November 2014, 11:43 pm
In case you missed it, here is my Tip TV clip from this morning's session.
Permira, Bridgepoint said to weigh £500 million bids for Big Bus Tours - part 2
Thursday, 27 November 2014, 11:24 pm
In case you are following the Big Bus Tours auction in detail, I hear from good sources four bidders have been shortlisted to participate in the sale process...
Dixons Carphone overtakes some of Britain's biggest listed retailers in market capitalisation
Wednesday, 26 November 2014, 5:55 pm
Oh look - as of tonight's market close, Dixons Carphone is now larger than both J Sainsbury and WM Morrison, two of Britain's largest supermarket groups...
Rule 2.8 e
Tuesday, 25 November 2014, 10:44 pm
I have to admit I was a little bit surprised to see reports this week claiming America's Stryker Corporation is "discussing the financing" of a multi-billion pound acquisition of orthopaedics maker Smith & Nephew...
Permira, Bridgepoint said to weigh £500 million bids for Big Bus Tours
Tuesday, 25 November 2014, 1:24 am
Wow - the UK M&A market has suddenly roared back into life. And to think last Thursday I was on Tip TV noting how quiet it was in the British dealmaking scene for this time of year...
Chinese merchant bank zooms into Formula One
Saturday, 22 November 2014, 12:29 am
This is rather intriguing. Click on the link below and you will see that Caterham, the Formula One team that recently found itself in financial difficulty, has found a new sponsor in North Square Blue Oak and is set to race in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend...
Back on Tip TV talking about Kier Group, big US deals and BP
Thursday, 20 November 2014, 9:21 pm
Nick Batsford - aka Moose - very kindly asked me back onto Tip TV to talk about M&A. As usual, it was great fun and also a great honour - I preceded veteran City commentators such as Panmure Gordon's David Buik.
Here is a link to today's clip: http://www.tiptv.co.uk/archives/ma-ben-harrington-betaville-blogspot/ ..
Another US 'vulture' fund circles Stemcor
Wednesday, 19 November 2014, 11:32 pm
..Microchip finally rules itself out for CSR...
Tuesday, 18 November 2014, 1:33 am
It's game over for investors that were betting on a potential counter bid from US group Microchip Technology for London-listed CSR...
[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].