M&A
Barclays in talks to sell French business to AnaCap
Barclays has agreed to hold exclusive negotiations to dispose of its French retail banking and wealth businesses, according to European private equity group AnaCap Financial Partners.
Door closing on Darty bid party as Steinhoff refuses to raise bid
Steinhoff International's Conforama said it would not increase its offer for Darty from its recent offer of 160p, which could leave the door open to bidding rival Fnac in the battle for the France-focused electronics retailer.
Darty receives 'final' 170p offer from Fnac
Electronics retailer Darty has received a 170p-a-share takeover offer from Paris-based Fnac.
Gannett offers to buy Tribune Publishing for $815m
Gannett Co, the owner of USA Today, has offered to buy the publisher of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune for $12. 25 per share in cash, valuing the company at around $815m.
Ball and Rexam to sell assets to Ireland's Ardagh Group
Ball Corp. and Rexam agreed to divest assets to Ireland's Ardagh Group worth $3. 42bn in a bid to clinch regulatory approval for their merger.
Steinhoff-Conforama up Darty stake and offer 160p to all investors
South Africa-backed Steinhoff International has upped its stake in France-focused electronics retailer Darty at 160p and offered to buy other shareholders' stock at the same price as it battles long-running French suitor Fnac.
Darty shares jump as Fnac ups offer, trumps Conforama
Shares in Darty surged on Thursday as Fnac upped its offer for the French electronics retailer to 145p per share, beating the offer from Steinhoff subsidiary Conforama.
WPP unit takes majority stake in Turkish PR firm
WPP said its Burson-Marstellar unit had agreed to take over Turkish communications firm Effect PR for an undisclosed sum.
Tesco receives Dobbies bid from Terra Firma, reports say
Tesco has reportedly received a £175m approach for its Dobbies Garden Centres division from rival Wayvale, which is owned by private equity house Terra Firma.
CaixaBank tables second bid for Portugal's BPI
Spain's CaixaBank offered to purchase the remainder of Portugal's Banco BPI SA despite its inability over the weekend to reach a deal with one of the largest shareholders in its rival.
Alinda Funds picks up Energy Assets Group for £198m in cash
Energy Assets agreed to be bought by BidCo, a company wholly-owned by Alinda Funds, for approximately £198m in cash.
ITV in deal talks with Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One, no offer made yet
Broadcaster ITV has held takeover talks with Entertainment One, the FTSE 250-listed owner of Peppa Pig and distributor of the new David Brent film, according to reports.
Premier Foods tanks as McCormick walks away from bid
Shares in Mr Kipling and Oxo owner Premier Foods tumbled on Wednesday as US-based McCormick & Co. said it did not intend to make an offer for the company.
Anglo American may sell Brazilian phosphate assets to Vale, reports say
Anglo American could have found a buyer willing to pay around $1bn for its niobium and phosphates business in Brazil, according to reports late on Tuesday.
Cranswick gobbles up Crown Chicken
Food producer Cranswick announced the acquisition of CCL Holdings, and its 100% owned subsidiary Crown Chicken Limited from the Thacker family and management on Monday.
Daily Mail said to be mulling bid for Yahoo
The Daily Mail's parent company had held talks with half a dozen private equity outfits regarding a potential bid for some of US internet giant Yahoo's assets, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
Johnston Press completes purchase of i newspaper
Regional newspaper publisher Johnston Press said it had completed its takeover of the i newspaper from Independent Print Ltd.
Whitehall hits out at Brussels over Three-O2 merger
The European probe of Three’s takeover of O2 was heavily criticised by the UK’s competition watchdog on Monday, with the Competition and Markets Authority claiming the deal could threaten choice and competitiveness in Britain’s mobile market.
Electric Bar Group to buy Brighton Pier for £18m
Electric Bar Group has entered a conditional agreement to buy Brighton Pier for £18m in a deal it expects to be immediately earnings-enhancing from completion.
Thursday newspaper share tips: Premier Foods, Next
Mc. Cormick’s swoop for Premier Foods follows the time-honoured tradition by which a company that has successfully restructured is picked up at the bottom, depriving long-suffering shareholders of a reward for their patience, The Times’s Tempus said.