Merlin eyes 2bn float
Merlin, the private equity-owned theme park operator, has appointed a host of bulge bracket banks to advise it on a listing early in 2010. Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Nomura have all been asked to assist the group, which owns attraction such as Madame Tussauds and the London Eye. Merlin will be trying to counter the view that theme park operators are cyclical businesses.