UK bags Europe’s M&A top spot with $247bn of deals in 2018 as TMT mergers grow February 19, 2019 The UK enjoyed the highest value of M&A deals in Europe last year as telecoms and media takeovers spiked. High value purchases like Comcast’s $39bn purchase of Sky pushed mergers involving UK companies to $247bn in 2018, data compiled by law firm Clifford Chance found. Read more: Watchdog delays final report on Sainsbury's-Asda merger Both domestic and [...]
Activist shareholders step up pressure on UK boards January 13, 2019 Shareholder activism increased sharply in the UK last year as investors launched campaigns at 25 companies, spending $7.35bn (£5.72bn) on shares. Elliott Advisors was the most prolific activist investor, launching 22 new campaigns worldwide, according to research by the investment bank Lazard. Elliott led a campaign that prompted UK retailer Whitbread to offload Costa Coffee to Coca-Cola [...]
Mark Kleinman’s big predictions for the Square Mile in 2019 January 11, 2019 Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP exit, Unilever’s HQ U-turn, Melrose’s swoop for GKN: 2018 was a year full of surprises in the City. And while forecasting might be a fool’s errand, here are 10 predictions for the year ahead. •Theresa May will decisively lose next week’s “meaningful vote” on Brexit: that’s not a punt that will [...]
Melrose share price tumbles following low-ball bids for GKN unit November 26, 2018 Turnaround specialist Melrose led FTSE fallers today as its share price fell over six per cent following reports of disappointing bids for one of its GKN units. Melrose, which bought aerospace company GKN in an £8bn hostile takeover earlier this year, was reportedly forced to reconsider its options after it was low-balled by bids for [...]
GKN owner Melrose considers options after being low-balled by bids for unit November 25, 2018 GKN owner Melrose is licking its wounds after it failed to attract the right price for one of the engineering group’s key divisions. The company’s management is now considering its options after being low-balled by bidders, including private equity firms Apollo and PAI Partners, Sky News reported last night. It expected to get around £2bn [...]
Melrose waits for GKN takeover to bear fruit as automotive revenues stay flat November 13, 2018 Turnaround investor Melrose said today that it is trading in line with board expectations after buying engineering firm GKN in an £8.1bn hostile takeover earlier this year. The FTSE 100 firm, which specialises in buying and improving underperforming businesses, told investors that GKN offers "an outstanding opportunity for value creation over the medium term". Melrose reported "strong" revenue growth in its [...]
Theresa May’s new merger powers would be a hostile takeover by the state October 16, 2018 Back in July 2016, Theresa May launched her campaign for leadership of the Conservative party by promising radical action on foreign takeovers of British businesses. In the wake of Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury and Pfizer’s failed bid for AstraZeneca, May promised to defend workers and local communities from transient shareholders who, she said, were more [...]
GKN share price climbs as growing auto demand boosts sales May 6, 2015 Shares in UK manufacturer GKN ticked up yesterday after the company announced it continued to outperform the market during the start of the year. The British company, which specialises in the manufacture of components for the aerospace and automotive sectors, received a boost from a growing car market and the strength of sterling. [...]
Car parts maker GKN profits take a hit over pound February 24, 2015 Shares at car components giant GKN took a hit yesterday after its underwhelming results were blamed on a strong pound. Revenues at the company last year fell two per cent to almost £7.5bn as sterling took its toll through the company’s high exposure to foreign markets and cutbacks in military budgets. One area to show [...]
GKN tops FTSE on higher profits from car division July 29, 2014 ENGINEERING giant GKN topped the FTSE 100 yesterday, after unveiling a six per cent rise in first-half profit and hiking its interim dividend by eight per cent. The company, which supplies components for car makers such as Volkswagen and aircraft manufacturers including Airbus, posted pre-tax profit of £296m for the first half of the year [...]