The accountant, the tax avoidance scheme and the magazine
Tuesday, 1 December 2015, 7:49 pm
I have a little yarn that might cheer up freelance readers struggling to get their paperwork ready for January's tax returns...
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. 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.
Flag pole alert - part 4
Tuesday, 1 December 2015, 5:38 pm
It does now appear unlikely British American Tobacco will pounce on Imperial Tobacco given last night's BBC Panorama allegations. At least, I wouldn't expect a deal in the near future.....
Back on Tip TV talking about SAB Miller, Fagron and Ophir Energy
Monday, 30 November 2015, 3:32 pm
Moose was quizzing me about M&A today. Here is a link to today's show:
http://www.tiptv.co.uk/finance/ma-outlook-fagron-ophir-energy-and-chinese-bidders-interested-in-ihg/..
Telecity/Equinix appoint Royal Bank of Canada to begin data centre sale
Friday, 27 November 2015, 3:37 pm
Here's a titbit on Telecity Group's £2.35 billion sale to US data centre giant Equinix...
Informa said to be sniffing around Top Right Group
Thursday, 26 November 2015, 5:30 pm
FTSE 250-listed Informa, the publisher of Lloyd's List, has been studying a £1 billion takeover of Top Right Group, the publishing, data and events company backed by the Guardian Media Group...
Shell/BG Group worries - part 2
Wednesday, 25 November 2015, 6:15 pm
I guess merger arb funds don't need to worry after all about the Royal Dutch Shell / BG Group deal falling apart as the The Times business section has this morning revealed the Qataris (who have been selling out of both companies recently) are backing the deal...
Flag pole alert - part 3
Tuesday, 24 November 2015, 12:35 pm
The broker upgrades are coming thick and fast following Bryce Elder's piece on Imperial Tobacco late last week...
Shell/BG Group worries
Tuesday, 24 November 2015, 9:54 am
Risk arbitrageurs (otherwise known as the hedge funds that bet on takeover deals) have been getting increasingly nervous about Shell's £43 billion bid for BG Group following a series of bearish articles on the transaction by my old employer, The Telegraph Media Group, publisher of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph...
Back on Tip TV talking about Travis Perkins, Aggreko and Anadarko
Monday, 23 November 2015, 10:56 pm
Zak was in the chair today and he did his best to squeeze every story I have been working on for the last week out of me. Here is a link to today's show:
Squeaky bum time for Pathfinder Minerals - part 2
Friday, 20 November 2015, 6:54 pm
I'm presuming bums are getting particularly squeaky round at Pathfinder Minerals, the controversial mining company focused on Mozambique...
Hedgies get hot under the collar over Dialog deal - part 2
Thursday, 19 November 2015, 10:23 pm
So, Arrowgrass appears to have got one over rival Elliott Advisers - it's just been announced that Dialog Semiconductor's purchase of Atmel has been approved...
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners said to have hired bankers to sell International Energy Group
Thursday, 19 November 2015, 5:56 pm
Apologies for the delayed posting Betavillers - I've got a bit of sore head as I was out hobnobbing with the great and the good of the British business world last night at a brilliant party...
Hedgies get hot under the collar over Dialog deal
Wednesday, 18 November 2015, 4:12 am
It sounds like there is an almighty dusty up brewing between some of Britain and America's top hedge funds...
RARE ALERT: Fagron said to have drawn interest from Cinven et al
Tuesday, 17 November 2015, 2:55 am
I've been in two minds about writing on the Fagron auction. That's because there have been a lot of unsubstantiated (and possibly false) rumours going around the European markets in the last couple of weeks and as a result the stock has been volatile...
Back on Tip TV talking about IHS, BG Group and Fagron
Monday, 16 November 2015, 10:56 pm
It's a Monday, so here is a link to today's session on Tip TV:
Sunday review on a Monday
Monday, 16 November 2015, 4:31 pm
There were a couple of stories that caught my eye in yesterday's Sunday newspaper business sections...
Revealed: Argus Media Group appoints bankers to carry out sale of up to £1 billion - part 3
Friday, 13 November 2015, 3:17 am
It was only yesterday that I broke the story about Argus Media Group but already the names of serious buyers of the energy data business are coming out of the woodwork...
Revealed: Argus Media Group appoints bankers to carry out sale of up to £1 billion - part 2
Wednesday, 11 November 2015, 11:04 pm
It's always great when a scoop is formally confirmed by the company involved. Here is a statement that has just been released by Argus Media Group following my piece from earlier today:..
Revealed: Argus Media Group appoints bankers to carry out sale of up to £1 billion
Wednesday, 11 November 2015, 8:55 pm
Argus Media Group, the publishing company that sets world energy prices, could be about to change hands for up to £1 billion...
Krafty 3G / Coincidence - part 3
Wednesday, 11 November 2015, 5:57 pm
Finally, SAB Miller announces a £70 billion plus recommended offer from Anheuser-Busch Inbev and confirms what I have been banging on about since the beginning of the year: that 2015 is the year ABI and 3G plan to bid for the FTSE 100 beer company. And in case you don't recall, here are links to some of my "exclusive" articles on the topic:..
[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].