Burberry has licenced its beauty business to US group Coty April 3, 2017 Burberry is to licence its beauty business to the US group Coty in a new strategic partnership that will bring in around £180m. Coty will pay £130m for the long-term licence to the business, plus about £50m for inventory and other assets. Burberry will then receive ongoing royalty payments from October 2017. Burberry will take [...]
Taking the Mickey (Mouse): Walt Disney Co. delists Euro Disney, owner of Disneyland Paris, after several bailouts June 14, 2017 Walt Disney Company, the US media conglomerate, has tied up the take-private of its only European theme park after growing tensions with shareholders. Trading in Euro Disney, the parent of Disneyland Paris, was Frozen (pun intended) yesterday as Walt Disney Co. announced the results of its tender offer and the shares were suspended from the [...]
Six months are nearly up: Time for a Kraft-y Unilever takeover July 14, 2017 The Unilever takeover bid by American food giant Kraft may be back on again, if analysts at Susquehanna Financial Group are to be believed. In a research note, they observe that while there’s no concrete evidence to suggest Kraft will make another offer, the circumstances make it likely that it will. Kraft has not openly [...]
Fancy living like royalty? Move into the wing of this Grade-I listed castle on the corner of Greenwich Park April 25, 2016 Everyone has a favourite London park, but when it comes to views, Greenwich is unrivalled. Rolling hills give way to the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, which eyes up the white-domed O2 Arena with its bright cranes like candles on a birthday cake. For 22 years, Dave and Barbara Edgar have invited friends and family to [...]
Autumn Budget 2017: Chancellor Philip Hammond’s speech in full November 22, 2017 You can read the chancellor's Budget speech in full here: Mr Deputy Speaker I report today on an economy that continues to grow, continues to create more jobs than ever before and continues to confound those who seek to talk it down. An economy set on a path to a new relationship with our European [...]
HealthCare Royalty Trust takes aim at £200m IPO February 17, 2016 HealthCare Royalty Trust, an investment company that targets healthcare royalties has announced it will float on the London Stock Exchange, aiming to for a dividend yield of six per cent and hoping to raise £200m. The net total return, including share price appreciation is planned to increase to 10 per cent in the medium term. The firm [...]
Circassia share price flies on news of Astrazeneca partnership March 17, 2017 Shares in Neil Woodford-backed pharmaceuticals firm Circassia rocketed over 30 per cent this morning after the firm announced a $50m (£40.4m) investment from Astrazeneca. Circassia will buy the rights to two of Astrazeneca's pulmonary disease drugs in a deal that values the products at as much as $230m. The FTSE 100 giant will receive $50m of shares in its fellow [...]
McDonald’s to move non-US tax base to UK December 8, 2016 As the Brexit vote prompts companies to accelerate in moving onto the continent, one corporate juggernaut is reversing through the drive-thru. Fast food icon McDonald’s today announced it would move its tax base from Luxembourg to the UK, after facing increased scrutiny from EU regulators. The news of a new international holding company based in Britain for [...]
BHP Billiton trumps BP in bid for the first ever joint venture offered by Mexican state oil firm Pemex December 5, 2016 BHP Billiton has outbid British oil major BP for a lucrative contract to develop the deepwater Trion oilfield off the coast of Mexico with state oil firm Pemex. The London-listed Anglo-Australian giant, which is better known for its mining than oil operations, submitted a $624m (£490m) cash offer for a 60 per cent controlling stake in the [...]
Do strong brands make good investments? Brand Finance certainly think so February 1, 2017 When purchasing consumer goods, we’re attracted to brands we know and love. We buy Coca Cola, rather than an own brand product. We prefer Ray Ban sunglasses, Colgate toothpaste, Apple’s iPhone. And we’re willing to pay a premium for the privilege. Consumers have an affinity with the real thing, not just through overt awareness – [...]