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.
It would appear Johnson & Johnson was also circling US-listed Global Blood Therapeutics, which two weeks ago agreed a deal to sell itself to pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for $5.4 billion.
Well, that's according to arch rivals at Bloomberg. Below is a link to the Bloomie story that came out overnight:..
There was some more talk of equity fundraisings among the airlines today.
Word is brokers at HSBC were speculating about the possilbity of International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) and Wizz Air asking equity investors for fresh capital in the coming weeks or months.
Apparently, the smooth talkers on the broking side of the bank said:..
Amazon could be about to carry out its third major takeover deal of the summer.
Well, that's according to Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, who both revealed last night that Amazon is in the running to buy Signify Health, the US-lited healthcare technology platform...
The Sunday Telegraph had an interesting line on the Darktrace takeover tale (first revealed by little old Betaville).
Hacks at Betaville's former employers managed to get some quotes from Mike Lynch's spokperson, who appears to be linking the US's move to prosecute the technology entrepreneur for fraud to an American private equity bid for Darktrace. Below is a link to the piece that has the full quotes:..
Suddenly Boohoo's purchase of a 7.1pc stake in Revolution Beauty doesn't look so smart.
The online beauty retailer's shares have just collapsed almost 40pc after the company said: " it does not expect to be able to release audited results for FY22 by 31 August 2022."..
The Wall Street Journal has revealed Cineworld, the London-listed cinema giant, is on the verge of filing for bankruptcy.
According to the WSJ, Cineworld - which also owns the Regal cinema chain - has engaged advisors from law firm Kirkland and Ellis and a restructuring specialists Alix Partners to work on the bankruptcy. Below is a link to the WSJ scoop:..
Has the new private equity owner of Chelsea Football Club just bought a large stake in Blackline Inc, the US-listed financial software company?
Well, the reason Betaville posits the question is that a few days Clearlake Capital Group disclosed it now owns 9.1pc of Blackline Inc...
Controversial London-listed fast fashion retailer Boohoo has just revealed it has bought a 7.1pc shareholding in Revolution Beauty, the online make up retailer. Below is a link to this morning's annoucement:
There was plenty of follow up coverage in today's papers of little old Betaville's Darktrace scoop but the piece that really stood out is the one written by Russell Hotten, a former colleague from time on The Daily Telegraph's city desk...
Darktrace has confirmed little old Betaville's UNCOOKED Alert.
The company last night said it has been approached by Thoma Bravo, the American private equity firm that specialises in technology buy-out deals. Below is the link to yesterday's announcement:..
Mark "The Kleinmanator" Kleinman of Sky News has revealed this evening that Ted Baker's board is set to recommend a cut price £200 million offer for the retail brand from the American owner of Reebok.
US-listed Authentic Brands, according to Kleiny's piece, is going to pay 110p a share for Ted Baker and the deal could be announced tomorrow. Below is the link to Kleiny's scoop:..
Rob "Bob" Lea of The Times business section has finally caught onto the RS Group bid rumour.
Lea writes in today's market report in The Times that RS Group is telling its advisers to prepare its defences ahead of "unwelcome tanks being parked on RS Group's lawns"...
Bumpitrage alert!
Investors have begun to grumble about Remgro's £3.7 billion takeover offer for London-listed Medclinic International.
Word has reached Betaville that some Mediclinic shareholders believe Remgro's 504p a share bid is too "cheap".
Unsurprisingly, some of these investors want a higher offer, ideally around 525p a share for Mediclinic...
Betaville notes rivals at StreetInsider have picked up on the Repligen Corporation takeover rumour that has been doing the rounds in the last few days.
According to StreetInsider, Catalent - a US-listed biopharmaceutical company - has been circling Repligen, which makes materials used in the manufacture of biological drugs...
The August deal mania sweeping the American market has finally reached Britain and Australia.
WSP, the Canadian engineering consulting group, has struck a deal to buy London-listed RPS Group for 206p in cash or £591.1 million.
That is a 76pc premium to yesterday's price! Below is a link to the this morning's announcement:..
The US deal announcements are now arriving thick and fast.
Aside from the takeovers mentioned in this morning's note, Pfizer has announced it is buying Global Blood Therapeutics for $5.4 billion (confirming the Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal scoops from last week). Below is the link to the deal report from the WSJ:..
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