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 [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.
Rivals at the The Times have landed a cracking tail about how J Sainsbury has appointed uber dealmakers Robey Warshaw as its new "defence" advisor amid speculation it might soon be on the receiving end of a takeover offer (read Betaville's part 1, 2, 3 and 4 if you need reminding of the bid rumours)...
Soprema, a privately-owned water proofing products company, is rumoured to be the mystery bidder weighing a counter bid for Recticel, the listed Belgian insulation company.
People following the situation have heard speculation France-based Soprema may be considering making a counter offer for Recticel, which has already received a hostile takeover approach from Greiner AG, an Austrian plastics manufacturer, at EURO 13.50 a share...
I see former colleagues from The Daily Telegraph who now work at The Times were gracious enough to give little old Betaville some credit for the scoop about Elliott's stakebuilding activities in SSE, the FTSE 100-listed power and energy giant.
In fact, The Times splashed the whole of the business section on the story. Below is a link to the piece in the The Times...
Now analysts at Exane BNP Paribas are jumping on the 'Unilever is a target for an activist' theme.
Betaville's moles tell me the broker has just published a note suggesting the company split its developed markets business from its emerging markets business as this could generate 97pc of upside for the stock.
Yes, you read that correctly - 97pc!..
The Betaville follow ups are coming thick and fast this evening.
Now arch rivals at Bloomberg are reporting that the corporate agitators at Elliott Advisers have built up a shareholding in SSE and are pushing for the company to break itself up. Below is a link to the Bloomie piece:..
Oh look - rivals at Reuters have finally decided to follow Betaville's intelligence from a couple of weeks ago about a potential takeover of Tronox Holdings, the US-listed titanium ore and zircon mining company.
Below is a link to my original alert and the Reuters follow up, which suggests Apollo has made an approach for the company...
So, easyJet confirmed it is launching a £1.2 billion equity capital raising and also disclosed it had a received a takeover approach, which it has rejected. Below is the link to the statement. Below is a link:
I see rivals at Bloomberg have a "scoop" about easyJet working on a £1.4 billion equity capital raising.
Well, in case you don't remember little old Betaville reported in January this year that budget airline was/is plotting with its advisers about how to raise fresh equity capital. Below is the link:..
Recticel, the Belgian insulation products maker, is said to have attracted a rival suitor.
Recticel, which makes foam insulation and other construction materials, has this year been trying to fend off a takeover approach from Greiner AG, an Austrian plastics manufacturer.
However, people following the situation have heard rumours a rival western European company is circling Recticel with a view to launching an offer for the Belgian company in the next few weeks...
Dominic Walsh, the country's leading leisure reporter who works for The Times, is reporting William Hill's betting shops are set to be sold to 888 Holdings for about £2 billion by Caesars. Below is his tweet:
EXCLUSIVE: 888 Holdings wins William Hill auction with £2 billion-plus bid, beating Apollo to the line. Story to follow on @TimesBusiness shortly..
It would appear Betaville wasn't the only publication to have got wind of Sir Chris Hohn's interest in spurned $30 billion takeover target Willis Towers Watson.
Chums at top quality trade publication The Insurance Insider were quick onto the tale as well, publishing their own version late last week. Below is the link:..
Barely a day goes by during this dealmaking boom without a City broking analyst theorising on which company might be the next takeover target.
Indeed, William Woods of Alliance Bernstein is the latest and perhaps come up with the most audacious takeover pick yet. ..
Often when an activist, such as Elliott Advisors, gets involved in a listed company in the US or Europe it agitates for a sale of the business to generate an immediate uplift in shareholder value...
[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].