UNCOOKED ALERT: Cedar Fair said to .....
Monday, 30 September 2019, 4:59 pm
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.
Tchenguiz buys over 9pc of Urban Exposure PLC
Friday, 27 September 2019, 7:24 pm
Robert Tchenguiz, the property entrepreneur and onetime corporate raider, isn't just content with building a substantial shareholding in FTSE 250-listed bus and rail company FirstGroup.
Today, Aim-listed Ubran Exposure revealed Mr Tchenguiz has built up a 9.15pc shareholding in the property development finance company. Below is the link:..
RARE ALERT: Capital & Counties said to ... part 7
Thursday, 26 September 2019, 7:26 am
Betaville notes Capital & Counties, FTSE 250-listed property developer, has today made an announcement with regards to demerger and sale of Earls Court. Below is the link:
Dealmaking, Brexit and the Rugby World Cup...
Wednesday, 25 September 2019, 9:44 pm
Typically, autumn is when the City of London roars back into life as corporates, bankers and investors look to roll out flotations, fundraisings, mergers and takeover battles (think back to the Sky auction last year as a good example).
But it is unusually quiet in the London market. Bankers are blaming the uncertainty caused by the histrionics of parliamentarians around the Brexit deadline of October 31st...
The Thomas Cook affair...
Tuesday, 24 September 2019, 6:27 pm
Betaville doesn't get any enjoyment from seeing a company go bust, people lose their jobs and holidaymakers enduring mayhem...
Tags: Thomas Cook, Mail on Sunday
Why is Moelis & Co the sole adviser to the Hong Kong exchange on its £32 billion bid for the LSE? - Part 3
Monday, 23 September 2019, 4:08 pm
This piece - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/09/21/hong-kong-enlists-help-banking-heavyweights-win-london-stock/ - in the Sunday Telegraph's business section about Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing hiring HSBC to bolster to its bid for the London Stock Exchange caught Betaville's eye...
Tchenguiz boosts FirstGroup stake to 3pc - Part 2
Friday, 20 September 2019, 6:21 pm
Oh look - FirstGroup has confirmed Betaville's recent WELL-DONE ALERT - https://www.www.betaville.co.uk/betaville-intelligence/well-done-alert-firstgroup-said-to/ - by announcing that Robert Tchenguiz has built a 4.24pc shareholding (or has control over that amount of stock) in the company.
Below is a link to this afternoon's announcement:..
Tags: Robert Tchenguiz
RARE ALERT: Capital & Counties said to ... - Part 6
Friday, 20 September 2019, 2:14 pm
Capital & Counties, the UK-listed property company, has taken three companies interested in acquiring its Earls Court scheme into a final bidding round but predators interested in purchasing the whole company are starting to circle the business again.
Capital & Counties is in the process of demerging its assets in Covent Garden, London from the redevelopment scheme in Earls Court, London, into two separately listed businesses...
Tags: Capital & Counties
Thomas Cook on the brink (of collapse), according to the Daily Mail
Friday, 20 September 2019, 9:17 am
Betaville doesn't enjoy seeing any company collapse into administration but I note the fact that the Daily Mail and others are now reporting that Thomas Cook is on the verge of going under. Below is a link to the Daily Mail piece (which was splashed across the front page of the main book but I think was a follow from the Kleinmanator of Sky News)...
WELL-DONE ALERT: FirstGroup said to ...
Thursday, 19 September 2019, 5:27 pm
Robert Tchenguiz, the British property entrepreneur and activist investor, is said to be increasing his stake in FirstGroup, the FTSE 250-listed bus and rail company, to over 4pc.
People familiar with the situation said Tchenguiz, who previously declared he owned 3.2pc of FirstGroup, now owns just over 4.2pc of the bus and rail company, sparking speculation he may ask the company to consider further corporate activity...
Tags: FirstGroup
Elevator M&A...
Wednesday, 18 September 2019, 8:27 am
Thank goodness the venerable Financial Times has temporarily lifted its paywall.
It's meant little old Betaville has been able to access a rather interesting piece about the sale of Thyssenkrup's lifts unit, which I have been following with great interest as there have been mutterings about another European lift business being "in play" over the last few weeks...
UNCOOKED ALERT: Ageas said to ... - Part 4..
Tuesday, 17 September 2019, 3:44 am
Scoop confirmed for Betaville's old chums...
Monday, 16 September 2019, 8:48 pm
Take a bow Simon Duke, a former colleague from Betaville's jobbing freelancing days on The Sunday Times business section, and Katherine Griffiths, who I worked with on The Daily Telegraph some time ago, of The Times...
Why is Moelis & Co the sole adviser to the Hong Kong exchange on its £32 billion bid for the LSE? - Part 2
Friday, 13 September 2019, 6:38 pm
The London Stock Exchange finally swatted away Hong Kong's £32 billion takeover proposal. Below is the link:
Thomas Cook rescue deal on a knife edge, according to Kleinman
Thursday, 12 September 2019, 10:17 pm
Several weeks ago Betaville copped an earful from a person close to Thomas Cook on a rare Sunday off for a piece I wrote in the Mail on Sunday's business section about the tour operator's restructuring. Below is the link:..
Why is Moelis & Co the sole adviser to the Hong Kong exchange on its £32 billion bid for the LSE?
Wednesday, 11 September 2019, 7:48 pm
It struck me as odd whilst re-reading this morning's press release from Hong Kong Exchange that Moelis & Company, a mid-sized American M&A advisory firm, is the sole advisor to the Asian bourse on its takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange...
BREAKING: Hong Kong Exchange launches (hostile?) bid for LSE
Wednesday, 11 September 2019, 9:42 am
Well, that didn't take long. Just a few days back from the summer holidays and Hong Kong Exchange launches a £32 billion pound takeover deal for the London Stock Exchange, which is itself trying to merge with Refinitiv.
Below is the link:
RARE ALERT: ADM Energy said to be close to launching equity fundraising... - Part 2
Wednesday, 11 September 2019, 7:32 am
Another day, another confirmation for little old Betaville's RARE Alerts. This morning, ADM Energy - formerly known as MX Oil - announced an equity fundraising to raise over £800,000 at 7p a share. Below is the link:
Tags: Adm Energy
RARE ALERT: Arthur J Gallagher & Co said to ...
Tuesday, 10 September 2019, 8:45 pm
Arthur J Gallagher & Co, the US-listed insurance broking giant, is negotiations to buy privately-owned Capsicum Re for around £200 million.
People following the situation said Arthur J Gallagher & Co has been holding talks with Graham "Chily" Chilton, the veteran insurance broker and founder of Capsicum Re about buying the business outright...
RARE ALERT: ADM Energy said to be close to launching equity fundraising
Monday, 9 September 2019, 5:09 pm
ADM Energy, the Aim-listed oil producer, is looking to raise around £500,000 via an equity fundraising.
People claiming to be familiar with the matter said broker Peel Hunt and a mystery investor are backing the fundraising for the business, which looks for oil off the coast of Nigeria.
Unusually, the new shares will be issued at a premium to the current share price of 6.38p, with one person following the situation suggesting it the fundraising could be priced at 7p...
Tags: Adm Energy
[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].