Private equity under fire as floats plunge June 23, 2014 PRIVATE equity is under renewed scrutiny from buyside investors after two floats backed by Europe’s biggest buyout houses slumped in market trading yesterday. Shares in holiday website eDreams Odigeo plunged more than a third just eight weeks after Permira and Ardian sold part of their stake. The group, which became the first stock market listing [...]
KPMG set to run Caliber liquidation September 2, 2008 Caliber Global Investment, the LSE listed mortgage-bond fund run by the hedge fund group Cambridge Place Investment Management, is seeking shareholder approval to appoint KPMG, the accountancy firm, to oversee its liquidation. Caliber is unwinding holdings of US and European mortgage-backed debt, which totalled $908m in March 2007, after taking losses on subprime mortgages. The [...]
Premier appeal for England’s leading football clubs September 2, 2008 Even 24 hours earlier, few would have believed that Manchester City would be the name on everybody’s lips on transfer deadline day. But City, rather than their more illustrious neighbours Manchester United, dominated much of the gossip and discussion yesterday, in the increasingly bizarre world that is modern football. First came the unexpected news of [...]
Profits boost for Talksport owner August 27, 2008 UTV Media, the owner of Talksport radio station and the Northern Ireland ITV franchise, saw its half year profits rise by 12 per cent to £10.4m despite a downturn in its hitherto core television business. The company, which recently raised £50m from shareholders, attributed its profits growth to revenue improvements from its radio business – [...]
Woolworths profits hit by retail slump July 30, 2008 Sweets-to-DVDs retailer Woolworths issued a profit warning yesterday, blaming a marked downturn in trading conditions, as it scrapped plans to sell out of DVD publisher 2 Entertain, sending its shares to a new low. The 100-year-old group, which last month agreed to part company with chief executive Trevor Bish-Jones, said it planned to rebuild its [...]
Bush calls for quick action on bank plan July 16, 2008 US President George W Bush urged Congress to act quickly on the government’s plan to shore up housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac yesterday. Speaking at a White House press conference as share prices across the world gyrated wildly, the President said of the two mortgage giants: “We must ensure they can continue [...]
Lehman shines in a turbulent day for the banks July 16, 2008 Lehman Brothers was one of the few banks to show a healthy rise in its share price yesterday – but only because of suggestions that its management, peeved by recent share price falls, were considering a buyout bid. Shares in Lehman, which have fallen 80 per cent so far this year, rose 13 per cent [...]
Imperial in fresh £1.2bn bid approach July 15, 2008 Imperial Energy, the Russia-focused oil company, has had a bid approach that could value the business at around £1.2bn. India’s state-controlled ONGC appeared to be the most likely bidder, although Imperial’s statement to the London Stock Exchange, confirming an approach had been made, did not identify the would-be bidder. Shares in Imperial, which earlier this [...]
Profits crash at Southern Cross nursing July 1, 2008 Southern Cross Healthcare Group, the nursing home operator, shocked the City yesterday with a profits warning along with the departure of its finance director. Southern Cross, whose shares closed down 58.5 per cent at 130p, said occupancy levels at its homes had not grown by as much as it originally expected and trading was unlikely [...]