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Daniel Stewart wields the axe - part 2

A little update about the looming cull at Daniel Stewart.

I hear between 10 and 15 people were let go yesterday from the stockbroker.

And I suspect Daniel Stewart won't be the only broker to be throwing people out over the next few weeks...

Post Brexit M&A from the WSJ

The venerable Wall Street Journal has just landed a cracking scoop about Mondelez submitting a $23 billion takeover bid for rival Hershey. Hat tip to those hacks who dug up that jackanory. Here is a link to their piece:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/mondelez-makes-takeover-bid-for-hershey-1467297248

Murdoch in first major UK M&A deal post Brexit with £220 million talkSport buy; Sky next?

Perhaps those (I have to include myself here) predicting a slowdown in UK M&A post Brexit spoke too soon.

News Corp - the publishing company controlled by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch - has just announced it is purchasing Talksport-owner Wireless Group for £220 million. Here is a link to the regulatory news service announcement:

Post Brexit M&A from the FT

If your interested in the prospects for dealmaking post the Brexit referendum this (click on the link below) piece from FT hacks is worth a read (if you pay for a subscription or can sidestep the paywall).

Enjoy: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7eeb15a2-3dea-11e6-8716-a4a71e8140b0.html#axzz4CsoYi2Sd

Daniel Stewart wields the axe

There is more gloomy news from London's small cap stockbroking industry.

I hear Daniel Stewart, which has seen its shares suspended, has this week begun a major cull, possibly about a third of its work force.

Back on Tip TV talking about Brexit's impact on UK M&A, Wirecard and BioMarin

Here's is a link to today's session on Tip TV with the erudite Zak Mir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaqcAMy-fek

Is the tide turning for Odey the Brexiteer? - part 2

It looks like my story from yesterday was bang on the money.

Indeed, just a few hours after I published yesterday morning charming Crispin got on the front foot to go on the record about his recent strong performance in June and also from the result of the referendum.

Is the tide turning for Odey the Brexiteer?

Crispin Odey's flagship European fund has had a tough time in the last year or so after the charismatic fund manager made some pretty bold and contrarian bear calls that haven't quite worked out.

However, yesterday rival hedgies told me the Odey European fund was actually up around 10pc in June 2016 (the final monthly performance won't be published for another couple of weeks).

Cough up or sell up

Market participants are going to have to stick their hands in their pockets to keep trading companies, indices and currencies over the next few days.

That's because brokers and spread betting firms have begun demanding traders and hedge funds put up more "margin" to cover existing positions during the conclusion of the Bexit referendum, according to well-places sources.

Betaville hits 20 million!

Little old Betaville has hit another milestone - today it reached a total of 20 million page impressions from readers.

It's been great fun breaking stories and cracking jokes. But it's now time to think about taking Betaville to the next level.

That meeting - part 3

Regular readers will remember my piece from a couple of weeks ago about The Times follow up to my original story from last year about who attended a British Bankers Association board meeting on April 2016, 2008 and what was discussed. In case you don't, here are the links:

http://betaville123.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/that-meeting.html

Sanofi said to weigh alternative deals to Medivation; eyes BioMarin Pharmaceutical - sources

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is working on a back up plan in case it fails to win its $9.3 billion hostile pursuit of US-listed Medivation.

Top sources have told me the French pharmaceutical giant has begun looking at US-based rare disease specialist BioMarin Pharmaceutical as a potential alternative takeover deal after growing frustrated in its pursuit of Medivation, which has so far resisted the French company's advances.

Goldman Sachs tips Sky, Cairn Energy and Zealand Pharma as takeover candidates

I never quite know what to make of a equity research teams' M&A predictions.

Why? Well, investment bank's equity research teams are supposed to have "Chinese walls" but you would have thought it's unlikely a top investment bank would actually let its own equity research analysts predict a deal that its M&A advisory bankers are actually working on.

Portuguese consortium said to still be working on BHS despite closure - part 3

Most of my peers and rivals are down in Westminster live tweeting Sir Philip Green's interview (wind up) by MPs.

But I thought I would take this opportunity to set the record straight. After this morning's post I had a call from a representative of the Soares do Santos family in Portugal, claiming the family is not backing Greg Tufnell's consortium in its attempt to buy BHS. 

Portuguese consortium said to still be working on BHS despite closure - part 2

It would appear Mike Ashley isn't the only bidder still trying to get hold of BHS - or parts of it, at least.

Well-placed sources have told me the Portuguese consortium, led by Greg Tufnell (Phil Tufnell's brother) and backed by the dos Santos family, was also contacted by administrators on Sunday about whether it would still be interested in buying BHS.

Skewered

Once again Oliver Shah comes up a with more cracking stuff on the BHS saga in today's The Sunday Times. Here is a link to today's scoop:

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/revealed-greens-plan-to-split-empire-with-chappell-q8zvwrf5v

Chinese said to be in talks with Wirecard about purchasing a 25pc stake; could make move on the whole company - sources - part 2

Wow - I thought yesterday's piece might ruffle a few feathers but I never expected the torrent of angry banter I received throughout the afternoon.

It sort of reminds me of last year's shenanigans when I broke a series of stories about Slater & Gordon interest in purchasing the majority of Quindell. For several months I was on the receiving end of serious abuse, scepticism and denials (from Slater & Gordon itself) but stuck to my guns. And what happened: Slater & Gordon eventually bought Quindell's professional services division for just under £640 million. Here is a link to my final piece in that series:

Chinese said to be in talks with Wirecard about purchasing a 25pc stake; could make move on the whole company - sources

A mystery Chinese company is in talks with German payment processor outfit Wirecard about a deal to buy a significant stake in the business or even purchase the group outright.

According to well-placed sources, a Chinese telecoms company has been talking to Wirecard, whose current market capitalisation stands at EURO 4.7 billion, for quite some time about a partnership and a potential deal.

Nutmegged on SOBI - part 2

There has been quite a bit of noise around Swedish rare disease specialist SOBI over the last couple of days.

Well, I wouldn't get too carried away. I'm told there is supposed to be an important meeting in the next 24 / 48 hours where a decision will be made on the "situation".