Flag pole alert - part 8

Deal watchers looking for the next big FTSE 100 deal should read Ian King's excellent column in today's The Times.

According to the Sky News business supremo, high-level investment bankers have told the former The Times business editor that the next FTSE 100 takeover bid could be carried out by a Chinese bidder.

Flag pole alert - part 7

Readers might recall the heightened speculation towards the back end of last year about British American Tobacco weighing a £50 billion break up takeover bid for Imperial Tobacco, now called Imperial Brands.

Well, I see Imperial Brands, formerly Imperial Tobacco, has just appointed Barclays as joint corporate broker alongside Credit Suisse.

Flag pole alert - part 6

Bryce Elder's stock market report column in the Financial Times caught my eye this morning.

The intrepid hack led his column with a juicy market tale about how UBS - British American Tobacco's longstanding corporate broker and financial adviser - had decided to stop carrying out equity research on the tobacco sector despite recently poaching a top sector analyst from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Flag pole alert - part 5

Below is Bank of America Merrill Lynch's latest piece of research on Imperial Tobacco, which appears to suggest China National Tobacco Corporation is the most credible suitor for the FTSE 100-listed company.

Flag pole alert - part 4

It does now appear unlikely British American Tobacco will pounce on Imperial Tobacco given last night's BBC Panorama allegations. At least, I wouldn't expect a deal in the near future...

Flag pole alert - part 3

The broker upgrades are coming thick and fast following Bryce Elder's piece on Imperial Tobacco late last week.

Yesterday, Citigroup upgraded Imperial Tobacco to a "buy" and now Exane BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley have pieces out to clients on the topic. Below I have pasted the gist of the latest Exane note:

Flag pole alert - part 2

I guess it was worth raising the flag pole over the latest British American Tobacco for Imperial Tobacco rumour given the recent UK press coverage.

And I have been given some extra colour (attached with a RARE disclaimer) on the situation.

Flag pole alert

Anyone heard the one about British American Tobacco going for Imperial Tobacco?

It's been run up the flagpole several times in recent weeks in the British newspaper stock market reports.

Back on Tip TV talking about Glencore, Imperial Tobacco, Radius Health, Imagination Technology and Eros International

Moose and Zak decided to get together to take me on this morning. Here is a link to today's show:

http://www.tiptv.co.uk/finance/ma-roundup-rumours-surrounding-radius-glencore-to-see-a-takeover/