Friday, 17 August 2018 4:45 pmRemember Wirecard?
Let me remind you in case you don't: it's the controversial German payment company that two years ago was the focus of a public attack by short sellers.
Tuesday, 07 August 2018 4:52 pmI see Alisher Usmanov has finally conceded to Stan Kroenke in the battle to control Arsenal. It only took a decade and countless stories about how the Russian/Uzbek tycoon was preparing to bid for the Premier League club himself.
Wednesday, 01 August 2018 8:47 pmBetaville has been banging on about this second wave of China-backed interest in European businesses for the last month or so.
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 11:24 pmSo, today's business section of the Daily Mail appears to be echoing the theme Betaville has aired over the last week about a rekindling of China-backed dealmaking for European/British businesses.
Sunday, 08 July 2018 10:04 pmBelow is a link to a great scoop by John Collingridge, now deputy editor of The Sunday Times business section, about how China General Nuclear is trying to buy a stake worth £4 billion from Centrica and EDF.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/chinas-cgn-eyes-stake-in-uk-nuclear-stations-rll8f0lp9
Thursday, 05 July 2018 5:07 pmWell that didn't take long. An hour after Betaville published along came Bloomborg with a tale about how China Grand Enterprises, Inc. and its affiliate company Huadong Medicine Co made a takeover approach for London-listed Sinlcair Pharma, the face lift specialist.
Monday, 01 May 2017 2:25 pmPembridge Resources, the AIM-listed company formerly known as China Africa Resources, is expected to launch its fundraising roadshaw tomorrow.
Friday, 07 April 2017 1:58 pmOh look: China Africa Resources - now caled Pembridge Resources - has effectively confirmed yesterday's jackanory. Click on the link below for all the detail about the move to become an investment company.
Thursday, 06 April 2017 4:15 pmChina Africa Resources - which is in the process of changing its name to Pembridge Resources - is poised to relaunch as an investment business under Rule 8 of the AIM rules for companies. An announcement could be made in the next few days, according to my industry sources.
Monday, 30 January 2017 8:03 amIt's all a little bit frustrating because I, too, was looking into the QBE rumours as I believed I had finally worked out what was going on. According to my sources, QBE had begun working with investment bankers at Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs after being approached by Allianz late last year. Following interest from Allianz, both China Life Insurance and Axa had been contacted to gauge their interest in participating in a strategic review of QBE, with a view to striking a deal between AUS $15 and $16 a share.
Thursday, 22 December 2016 10:26 amIndeed, the picture story on the front page of the excellent The Times business section is about how a Chinese company (one of them called Shandong Ruyi Group) is in talks to purchase Acquascutum, the British luxury maker of raincoats, for $120 million.
Monday, 19 December 2016 5:19 pmLast week private equity firm Primary Capital sold Leisure Pass to rival Exponent (owner of Big Bus tours) but from what I'm told Chinese outfits including Ctrip (which recently bought Skyscanner for £1.4 billion), Fosun (owner of a stake in Thomas Cook) and Chinese private equity firm Honey Capital (owner of Pizza Express) all took a look at Leisure Pass during the auction process.
Thursday, 08 December 2016 8:15 amSo, coming up with a silly name to differentiate your consortium from the other Chinese bidders clearly does work. This morning it was announced the mega consortium, which called itself (in secret) the "Saxon Infrastructure Distribution Company", has won the National Grid gas distribution auction.
Whilst I could see how some consortium members could easily be associated with the Saxons (Allianz?) other members of the consortium are more likely to be associated with tribes from the east...
Wednesday, 21 September 2016 5:11 pmAccording to three sources familiar with the matter, a Chinese company approached Fingerprint Cards this summer about a takeover deal. However, one source familiar with the matter said the approach from the Chinese company, thought to be verbal indicative offer from Beijing Watertek Information Technology, had been rebuffed as it was not high enough.
Monday, 11 July 2016 6:32 pmAccording to well-placed sources, Wirecard has been talking to China Mobile for quite some time whereas the conversations with Alipay have been described to me as "early stage".
