Boom to bust in a just a few months

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly things can change in mega cap dealmaking.

Last year, markets witnessed record breaking takeovers - such as Anheuser-Busch Inbev's £75 billion takeover of SAB Miller and Royal Dutch Shell's £40 billion purchase of BG Group - but the first few months of this year has seen M&A activity fall of a cliff, with several major announced deals collapsing altogether.

Exxon Mobil said to have abandoned £70 billion BP takeover deal - part 2

Wow - these "old" or "stale" deal stories are becoming quite fashionable.

Reuters has just unveiled an "exclusive" scoop revealing ChemChina made a multi-billion takeover approach for BG Group, which has just been bought by Royal Dutch Shell. Here is the link:

Mr Nobody

So, rival hacks and news organisations are mocking the FT's Burberry scoop on the Twittersphere following this morning's news from HSBC. Burberry shares are down about 7pc after the bank released a statement to the market that implies it's not holding a stake on behalf of a mystery investor looking to make a takeover bid. Here is the link:

http://www.investegate.co.uk/burberry-group-plc--brby-/rns/holding-s--in-company/201603041054170987R/

Weekend review on Sky, Home Retail Group, J Sainsbury, Slater & Gordon, Royal Dutch Shell and BG Group.

There is plenty to reflect on in the British business press this weekend.

First off, I note that the Financial Times has done a reverse ferret of its position on whether wiley old Rupert Murdoch will have another run at Sky.

Shell/BG Group worries - part 5

I see Royal Dutch Shell's £35 billion purchase of BG Group has been approved by over 80pc of the  Anglo Dutch company's shareholders.

So I guess the Telegraph's recent scaremongering about the deal collapsing, led by Jupiter fund manager Ian McVeigh, was just, err, scaremongering....

Shell/ BG Group worries - part 4

Wow - Ian McVeigh of Jupiter Fund Management has written another column in The Sunday Telegraph criticising Royal Dutch Shell's £40 billion purchase of BG Group.

In case you missed it, here is the link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/12078269/Fund-management-industrys-credibility-on-show-in-planned-BG-Shell-merger.html

RARE alert: Reckitt Benckiser said to be working with Robey Warshaw on major deal

Rakesh Kapoor, chief executive of FTSE 100-listed Reckitt Benkiser, has been talking up the prospects of doing some major M&A in 2016.

Indeed, a few weeks ago Morgan Stanley analysts quoted Mr Kapoor as saying:

Shell / BG Group worries - part 3

There has been a lot of debate in the British financial press in recent weeks about whether Shell should press ahead with its multi-billion pound purchase of rival BG Group.

Ian McVeigh of Jupiter Fund Management has been particularly vocal in his opposition, likening the transaction to Royal Bank of Scotland's disastrous purchase of Dutch rival ABN Amro at the height of the credit boom. Read all about it here:

Shell/BG Group worries - part 2

I guess merger arb funds don't need to worry after all about the Royal Dutch Shell / BG Group deal falling apart as the The Times business section has this morning revealed the Qataris (who have been selling out of both companies recently) are backing the deal.

In fact, the tale is the splash (UK journo parlance for main story on the front page) and appears to be well sourced. Here is a link to the piece:

Sunday review on a Monday

There were a couple of stories that caught my eye in yesterday's Sunday newspaper business sections.

Oliver Shah's Prufrock item in The Sunday Times on Guy Hands's global restaurant preferences drew a wry smile, particularly as the financier's taste in eateries didn't appear to be particularly good.

Back on Tip TV talking about Royal Dutch Shell, BG Group, Anadarko, Pharma deals and Quindell

It's been a while since I was invited on Tip TV. Today Moose - aka Nick Batsford - very kindly asked me to come back onto the show. Here is a link to today's clip:

http://www.tiptv.co.uk/archives/update-on-the-latest-in-the-ma-market/

WSJ reporting Shell in talks to buy BG Group for more than $45 billion - boom - part 2

Huge hat tips to hackettes Dana Mattioli and Shayndi Raice over at the Wall Street Journal for last night's mega scoop on Royal Dutch Shell buying BG Group for £47 billion. Here is the confirmation/deal announcement:

http://www.investegate.co.uk/royal-dutch-shell--rdsa-/prn/recommended-cash--amp--share-offer-for-bg-group---/20150408070215PDD4B/

I'm sure their bosses, one of whom was responsible for breaking the Exxon Mobil merger story in 1999, will be pleased with this result...