Morrisons’ messy and dramatic takeover battle: Where are we now? August 20, 2021 Morrisons agreed a £7bn offer late last night in the latest twist in the UK supermarket chain’s dramatic takeover battle. Shares jumped this morning after investors digested the new deal from US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R). It comes weeks after a rival bidder, a consortium led by private equity rival Fortress, [...]
Bidding war for Morrisons heats up as US private equity giant makes £7bn move August 20, 2021 A fresh £7bn bid for supermarket chain Morrisons has been put forward by US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R). The deal has been unanimously accepted by the board of the grocer and directors have said shareholders should vote in favour of the takeover at a meeting due in early October. It means [...]
Morrisons suitor CD&R gears up to beat Fortress bid August 16, 2021 New York bidder Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is gearing up to place its counter-bid to the leading £10bn Fortress offer for Wm Morrison supermarkets before its deadline next Friday. CD&R planted the seed for the ongoing private equity bidding war for the British supermarket in June, when it placed a 230p per share offer [...]
Supermarket sweep: The fight for Morrisons heats up with Fortress increasing offer to £6.7bn August 6, 2021 The battle for control of one of the UK’s biggest supermarkets, Morrisons, has stepped up a notch today, with Fortress increasing its bid to £6.7bn. Fortress increased its offer to £6.7bn, or 272p per share when a 2p per share dividend is included, from £6.3bn earlier. The private equity consortium said said it “notes the [...]
Private equity needs to start speaking up for itself – it could be the key to ‘levelling up’ August 6, 2021 Private equity’s reputation is once again in the spotlight. With the supermarket Morrisons in the industry’s crosshairs, the public memory is reminded of previous scandals involving other household names. The multi-billion-pound bidding war for a major employer, headquartered in the north of England, has understandably attracted the interest of ministers and opposition politicians sensitive to [...]
Morrisons: Singapore’s wealth fund GIC joins Fortress’ £6.3bn takeover deal July 28, 2021 In an unexpected turn of events, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund joined this morning forces with the private equity-led consortium seeking to buy Morrisons in £6.3bn deal. Bosses at the supermarket giant agreed the takeover move, led by institutional investor Fortress, earlier this month. However, last night, Morrison’s largest shareholder, Silchester International, said it will not [...]
Morrisons’ biggest shareholder refuses to back £6.3bn Fortress-led takeover bid July 27, 2021 Morrisons’ largest shareholder has announced “it is not inclined to support” a £6.3bn takeover bid by a consortium led by SoftBank-owned Fortress. Silchester International Investors, which owns 15.1 per cent of Morrisons, said in a statement on Tuesday evening that “there is little in the recommended offer that could not be achieved by Morrison as [...]
Morrisons shareholders to vote on Fortress-led takeover bid on 16 August July 22, 2021 Shareholders in Morrisons will vote on a £6.3bn takeover bid from a trio of private investment groups led by SoftBank-owned Fortress on 16 August. In a document outlining Fortress Investment’s offer, Morrisons today said a court meeting and a general meeting of shareholders would be held on the August date. Fortress’ offer for the British [...]
Apollo pulls out of Morrisons takeover talks but could join Fortress-led bid July 20, 2021 Apollo Global Management has pulled out of its takeover talks to acquire Morrisons, but is in discussions to join the group leading the charge to buy the British supermarket chain. In a statement published this morning, the private equity firm said: “Apollo confirms that it does not intend to make an offer for Morrisons other [...]
Morrisons push ahead with plans to open automated grocery store as ‘pingdemic’ continues to hit supermarkets July 19, 2021 Morrisons are said to be close to unveiling an unmanned pilot store to the public “within months”, as they look to follow Amazon’s lead in modernising the approach to grocery shopping. The store will rely on shoppers to scan their smartphones upon entry before having digital cameras follow their every step in store to check [...]