Betaville

Cash calls - who is next? - Part 4

There is talk circulating the London market that one of Britain's biggest companies is set to launch a large cash call.

Reliable people familiar with the matter said the mystery company, thought to be in the FTSE 100 index, said the equity capital fundraising could be imminent.

However, it's not clear which blue chip company is going to kick off the rights issue or placing. If you think you have an idea, do get in touch via the usual channels, such as ben@betaville.co.uk...

Read more...

IAG and easyJet could tap equity market for fresh funds, say Citigroup analysts - Part 2

Sir Stelios is WILLING to back a cash call at easyJet IF the airline cancels the £4.5 billion Airbus order, and throws out its chairman and chief executive.

I just needed to clear that point up following last week's Betaville piece, which suggested Sir Stelios might not be happy about a potential equity capital raising at easyJet...

Read more...

Sunday review: easyJet, Virgin Atlantic and Lansdowne Partners - Part 2

Investors in funds run by Lansdowne Partners can sleep a little easier.

A corporate communicator for the hedgie got in touch with little old Betaville to claim the The Sunday Telegraph's line about Lansdowne's interest in buying Virgin Atlantic is "wrong".

Mmmmmmmm...I have pasted the statetment from the Lansdowne lackey below so dear reader you can make your own mind up...

Read more...

Tiziana Life Sciences back under the spotlight... - Part 2

Betaville is expecting another update from Tiziana Life Sciences in the next couple of days about its product for the fight against Covid-19

People following the situation said Tiziana is due to unveil a new combinational therapy to treat Covid-19 using a well-known FDA approved drug.

Still watching...

..

Read more...

Sunday review: easyJet, Virgin Atlantic and Lansdowne Partners

If you weren't able to pick up a copy of the Mail on Sunday today you may not have noticed I had a chat with Sir Stelios about the company's board, the airline's precarious financial position and the possiblity of a cash call.

Sir Stelios was on rumbustious form, so I have pasted the link to the piece below if you missed piece:..

Read more...

Place idle investment bankers in branches, says former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England

Sir Paul Tucker told Radio 4 this morning that highly-paid investment bankers twiddling their thumbs during the crisis driven deal drought should go to work in the high street branches.

When asked by Mishal Hussein if was there anything he would be doing differently if he were in a policy making role today Sir Paul said:..

Read more...

Pants on Fire!

Several years ago The Sunday Times business section used to run little stories under the banner of "Pants on Fire" when the newspaper discovered it had been lied to by a company or its public relation advisers about a big scoop it had been trying to stand up for publication...

Read more...

Deals, deals, deals...in a bear market - Part 4

Menoshi Shina, the owner of Crew Clothing, is trying to back out of his £22 million takeover bid for Moss Bros, the menswear retailer. See the link below:

https://www.investegate.co.uk/moss-bros-group--mosb-/rns/offer-update/202004220700024199K/..

Read more...

IAG and easyJet could tap equity market for fresh funds, say Citigroup analysts

It appears Betaville isn't the only City watcher thinking the likes of International Consolidated Airlines Group is weighing an equity capital raising.

Word reaches me that Mark Manduca, a scribbler at Citigroup, has written a note to clients saying: "we cannot wholly rule out an equity capital raise at either IAG or easyJet."..

Read more...

Cash calls - who is next? - Part 3

I see DFS Furniture has confirmed the piece in this weekend's Mail on Sunday by Neil "Neily" Craven and I about a potential equity capital fundraising. See the link below:

https://www.investegate.co.uk/dfs-furniture-plc--dfs-/rns/statement-re-press-comment/202004200700061164K/..

Read more...

Cash calls - who is next? - Part 2

The cash calls are coming thick and fast. Indeed, if you read the Sunday papers' business sections today you may have noticed that Neil "Neily" Craven and I unveiled DFS Furniture's plan to tap equity investors for fresh funds.

Mark "The Kleinmanator" Kleinman has today followed up our tale, tweeting the furniture retailer plans to ask investors for £50 million via a placing alongside raising some £70 million of fresh debt...

Read more...

Billionaire Bertarelli and Toto Wolff buy stakes in Aston Martin...

Aston Martin has been a dog of stock since its flotation eighteen months ago but that hasn't stopped billionaires quietly accumulating stakes in the business.

The latest to gobble up the shares in the luxry marque are Swiss-Italian billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli and Totto Wolff, the Austrian investor, former racing driver and 30pc shareholder in the Mercedes Formula One team. Below are the links:..

Read more...

Cash calls - who is next?

Betaville is in a bit of a grump.

Now, you might ask why given what's going on in the world. Well, yes, that's fair enough - there are more important things happening in the world than the daily cut and thrust of unveiling the secret deals going down in the City of London...

Read more...

Bears start mauling Hiscox - Part 3

One of Betaville's favourite business commentators today follows the theme I laid out yesterday about Hiscox but probably in a more eloquent style than myself.

I am off course referring to Alistair "acerbic" Osborne, a former boss and colleague from my days at The Daily Telegraph City desk, and his piece in today's The Times about Hiscox's refusal to pay out claims to small and medium-sized businesses. I have pasted the link below:..

Read more...

Bears start mauling Hiscox - Part 2

That didn't take long.

Rougly 30 minutes after Betaville published today's piece Hiscox put out a statement attempting to clarify the issue. Below is a link:

https://www.investegate.co.uk/hiscox-ltd--hsx-/rns/market-update-re-business-interruption-exposure/202004151420287747J/..

Read more...

Bears start mauling Hiscox...

Shares of Lloyd's of London insurer Hiscox were down almost over 40pc in the last 48 hours amid concerns for the future of the company.

Now, there are several good reasons why the stock is so out of fashion. I will list them below:..

Read more...

REVEALED: Hyve Group weighs multi-million pound equity capital raising - sources - Part 2

I see Hyve Group has this morning confirmed my report on this website and in the Mail on Sunday about a potential equity capital raising. Below is the link:

https://www.investegate.co.uk/hyve-group-plc--hyve-/rns/response-to-recent-press-speculation/202004140700094711J/..

Read more...

REVEALED: Hyve Group weighs multi-million pound equity capital raising - sources

Hyve Group, the London-listed exhibitions and conferences company, is working on an equity capital raising.

People familiar with the matter said Hyve Group, which puts on the Pure fashion trade show at Kensington Olympia, is in relatively advanced discussions about a major equity fundraising deal with its advisers and brokers, which include Numis...

Read more...

The cat is out of the bag at Circassia Pharmaceuticals... - Part 2

So, the cat is finally out of the bag at Circassia Pharmaceuticals: the company announced this morning that it would cancel the agreement with AstraZeneca for the US commercial rights to Tudorza and Duaklir in return for the FTSE 100 giant writing off a $150 million loan...

Read more...

Tiziana Life Sciences back under the spotlight...

Small cap enthusiasts might want to keep an eye on Aim-listed Tiziana Life Sciences.

Word reaches Betaville that the company has developed a unique approach for the fight against Coronavirus.

In case you don't recall Tiziana's shares soared over 200pc last month during one trading session after it launched plans to fastrack a drug it thinks could treat some of the more severe symptons of Coronavirus...

Read more...