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 ben@betaville.co.uk.
Gemalto is said to have received a fresh takeover approach from a mystery buyer.
In April, a Betaville Intelligence RARE Alert reported a mystery buyer was said to be circling the digitial security company after approaching Gemalto with a non-binding takeover proposal conditional upon due diligence.
However, since then Gemalto unveiled another profit warning, sending the company's shares significantly lower...
Two conflicting reports have been published hot on the heals the New York Post's tale earlier this week about US consumer goods giant Colgate-Palmolive weighing a sale at $100 a share...
It sounds like the equity fundraising being carried out by UK Oil and Gas Investments - also known as the "Gatwick Gusher" or UKOG - is going well.
People with knowledge of the situation said the the company, which is looking for oil in Surrey and Sussex, is close to raising the previously stated £6.5 million at 0.85p a share...
Jim Armitage landed a cracking scoop this morning for the Evening Standard, now edited by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, about how two London-listed TV production companies are in merger talks...
I see the New York Post is today carrying a story about how consumer goods giant Colgate-Palmolive could be looking to sell the business. Here is the link:
http://nypost.com/2017/05/16/colgate-palmolive-could-be-looking-to-sell/..
That's Andrew Bracey, the former chief financial officer of Ocado and ex investment banker at Barclays, UBS and Credit Suisse.
Since leaving his job as chief financial officer at Michael Page the dealmaker has set up buy-out firm Midlothian Capital Partners, which has already done a couple of major deals. They include the £217 million purchase of garden centre group Dobbies from Tescos and the £103 million acquisition of Park Leisure, the caravan park and holiday homes group...
Another day, another Betaville scoopette gets confirmed. This time asset finance company 1pm has confirmed my story from earlier today. I have pasted the confirmation below for those followers who might have missed it:
http://www.investegate.co.uk/1pm-plc--opm-/rns/statement-re-press-comment/201705151600031819F/..
Aim-listed 1pm is preparing to launch an equity capital fundraising to raise around £10 million to finance an acquisition of a rival.
Sources familiar with the matter said asset finance company 1pm has instructed stockbrokers Cenkos to lead the equity capital fundraising, which is expected to raise between £10 million and £12 million...
Apparently, Lloyds Banking Group bosses - including Antonio Horta-Osorio, chief executive, and chairman Baron Blackwell of Woodcote - did their usual thing at the Annual General Meeting earlier this week of putting a brave face on the bad news...
This piece - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-11/ctrip-blackstone-said-to-weigh-bids-for-prosieben-travel-arm - from Bloomberg would appear to confirm little old Betaville's Intelligence piece from a few weeks ago. Here is the link in case you don't recall: ..
Apologies for the delayed post Betavillers I have just returned to my desk following a rather delicious lunch. Anyway, I see Aim-listed Flowgroup has confirmed yesterday's Betaville Intelligence piece. Here is the link in case you missed it:
Aim-listed Flowgroup is working on a plan to launch a deeply discounted £28 equity fundraising in case talks to sell its energy division falter.
Earlier this year Flowgroup said it plans to sell Flow Energy, Flowgroup's household gas and electricity supply business, and talks with a prefered bidder are understood to have progressed to an advanced stage...
There is a good tale from team Bloomborg knocking around the wires this morning about one of the City's favourite sandwich shops, Pret a Manger, hiring banks for an IPO. Here is the link in case you missed it:
Clearly, MySquar was worth watching - shares in Myanmar social media company leapt another 42pc to just over 4p today...
Oh look - I see UK Oil and Gas Investments has confirmed Betaville's Intelligence piece from earlier today. Here is the link in case you missed it:
Aim-listed UK Oil and Gas Investments is said to be in the process of carrying out a £6m equity fundraising.
Sources familiar with the matter said UK Oil and Gas Investments - also is known as the "Gatwick Gusher" following its claim it had found an oil field of "national significance" a few miles from Gatwick airport in 2015 - is working with brokers at Cenkos on a placing with a view to raising around £6 million from investors...
The football scores are in (also known as the HSBC Hedge weekly returns). And it would appear the Odey European Fund has crept back onto the top 20 loserboard - Crispin's flagship fund is now down 7.82pc for the year to April 21, 2017, according to HSBC.
The news comes after The Sunday Times Rich List, compiled by the excellent Robert Watts, revealed last weekend that the charming buffer had slipped down that particular league table, losing £125 million last year...
Shares in Aim-listed MySquar, the Burmese social media platform, were on another a tear today, surging almost 50pc to 2.75p...
There weren't too many M&A scoops in the business sections this weekend but having worked for The Sunday Times, the Mail on Sunday and The Sunday Telegraph I know how some weeks it can be extremely tough digging out humdinger deal jackanories. They are a bit like buses - you wait for ages and then suddenly three come along in one go...
[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].