Quelle surprise: Agnellis launch multi-billion dollar insurance/reinsurance takeover deal
Wednesday, 15 April 2015, 2:30 am
It would appear Exor - the Agnelli family trust - has bitten the bullet and moved on from buying a 20pc stake in Swiss Re...
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.
Mega deals are back in vogue ... and so are the rows with British banks over mis-selling and Libor - part 2
Tuesday, 14 April 2015, 10:39 pm
I have a little update to my story last week on the ongoing row between Guardian Care Homes and Lloyds Banking Group. In case you don't recall, here is a link to last week's story:..
A Sunday review on a Tuesday
Tuesday, 14 April 2015, 6:23 pm
Sorry for the lack of posts Betavillers - I have been away for a few days...
A newspaper review on a, er ... Thursday - part 2
Sunday, 12 April 2015, 6:40 am
Mark Kleinman of Sky News is now reporting that International Paper has hired Deutsche Bank to mount a £6 billion bid for Irish paper and packaging group Smurfit Kappa. Here is a link to Kleinman's piece:..
Now this is a surprise - Rob Terry buys a massive stake in Daniel Stewart - part 2
Friday, 10 April 2015, 10:29 pm
Harriet Agnew, intrepid hackette over at the Financial Times, has come up with an compelling theory on why Rob Terry, founder and former chairman of Quindell, bought a 7.4pc stake in stockbroker Daniel Stewart last week.
If your interested in this rather bemusing situation, here is a link to Harriet's City Insider column:..
A newspaper review on a, er ... Thursday
Thursday, 9 April 2015, 9:02 pm
Unsurprisingly the Shell/BG Group £47 billion mega deal has dominated the front pages of the business press and, indeed, some of the main books (newsroom parlance for the front home news section of a journal). ..
Mega deals are back in vogue...and so are the rows with British banks over mis-selling and Libor
Thursday, 9 April 2015, 6:10 am
I realise today has been all about the return of the "mega deal" - see Shell's £47 billion purchase of BG Group or Mylan's $30 billion takeover offer for Perrigo - but I also noticed that a fresh legal claim against Lloyds Banking Group appears to be getting significant traction in the mainstream press...
WSJ reporting Shell in talks to buy BG Group for more than $45 billion - boom - part 2
Wednesday, 8 April 2015, 6:42 pm
Huge hat tips to hackettes Dana Mattioli and Shayndi Raice over at the Wall Street Journal for last night's mega scoop on Royal Dutch Shell buying BG Group for £47 billion. Here is the confirmation/deal announcement:..
WSJ reporting Shell in talks to buy BG Group for more than $45 billion! - boom
Wednesday, 8 April 2015, 5:29 am
It would appear the venerable Wall Street Journal has got the scoop of the day, week and, possibly, year. Check this out:..
Not another Quindell story!
Wednesday, 8 April 2015, 1:03 am
I haven't written about Quindell for a while so I thought loyal readers deserved a little update from Betaville...
Quindell shares suspended!
Wednesday, 1 April 2015, 7:35 pm
Quindell's shares have been suspended, which seems to have caused mass panic and triggered all sorts of wild speculation.
Well, I have been told that the reason for the suspension comes down to more of technical issue rather than anything else.
Anyway, I'm sure we will find out soon enough...
UPDATE:
Ben Martin over at The Daily Telegraph appears to have discovered the reason for today's announcement:..
Now this a surprise - Rob Terry buys massive stake in Daniel Stewart
Tuesday, 31 March 2015, 10:43 pm
..Merger Monday...or not
Tuesday, 31 March 2015, 5:57 am
A whole bunch of deals were announced today, with the US pharmaceutical industry witnessing another frenzied round of consolidation...
Quelle surprise: Quindell announces sale of its legal unit for almost £640 million to Slater & Gordon
Tuesday, 31 March 2015, 12:04 am
I have been on the receiving end of some pretty unpleasant abuse - some of it, dare I say it, down right libellous - over the last couple of months for my series of scoops and scoopettes on Quindell's sale of its professional services division for £640 million to Slater & Gordon, the listed Australian law firm...
Back on Tip TV talking about Quindell, SAB Miller, BioMarin and Shire
Monday, 30 March 2015, 10:10 pm
There was plenty of backslapping (well, by myself at least) during my Tip TV slot this morning. Here is a link to today's clip: http://www.tiptv.co.uk/archives/mergers-and-acquisitions-4/..
Aussie lawyers Slater & Gordon in exclusive talks to buy Quindell's legal services division - part 15
Monday, 30 March 2015, 2:13 am
It sounds like Slater & Gordon's purchase of Quindell's legal services division for £640 million is about to be announced...
Sunday review - Krafty 3G, BHS and the French poacher turned gamekeeper
Monday, 30 March 2015, 1:52 am
There are some excellent investigative features knocking around in today's business sections.
I particularly enjoyed Oliver Shah's piece in The Sunday Times on some of the murky characters behind the purchase of BHS from Sir Philip Green.
The intrepid hack appears to be leading the way in bottoming out who was behind this rather opaque deal and their backgrounds. Here is a link to Oliver's piece:..
RARE alert: Shire said to be weighing "transformational" $65 billion merger with BioMarin Pharmaceutical
Friday, 27 March 2015, 6:11 am
Perhaps I spoke (or wrote) to soon about Shire's next "transformational" deal taking a while to happen - see the link: http://betaville123.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/rare-alert-shires-next-deal-likely-to.html...
Krafty 3G - part 3
Thursday, 26 March 2015, 12:34 am
Interesting piece from Bloomberg on today's news about the 3G/Warren Buffet-backed $40 billion Heinz takeover of Kraft. Here is a link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-25/heinz-s-46-billion-kraft-bid-is-a-megadeal-without-a-megabank..
Village gossip - dealmakers' digest goes on the block
Thursday, 26 March 2015, 12:10 am
Revealed: Private Equity International could be about to change hands for between £35million and £50 million.
I understand the company behind Private Equity International, PEI, has hired advisers from Livingstone Partners to look at "strategic options", which could result in a sale of the publishing, conferences and training business.
First round bids for PEI are expected to be submitted in the next few weeks, according to my moles...
[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].