M&A
Merlin agrees £6bn sale to investors led by Lego family
Merlin Entertainments has agreed to be taken private by investors including Lego's founding family and buyout firm Blackstone for almost £6bn in cash.
Unite Group in talks about acquisition of Liberty Living
Student accommodation provider Unite Group has confirmed that it is in discussions with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) about a potential acquisition of Liberty Living.
HealthEquity to buy WageWorks in $2bn deal
Utah-based HealthEquity, a health savings account (HAS) non-bank custodian, has agreed to buy WageWorks in a $2bn deal.
Rotala acquires Bolton bus depot from FirstGroup
Bus operator Rotala has acquired a depot in Bolton, Greater Manchester, capable of operating up to 200 vehicles and serving 18 commercial bus routes.
BCA Marketplace posts rise in profit as TDR Capital confirms £1.9bn offer
Private equity firm TDR Capital confirmed on Wednesday that it has made a £1. 9bn offer for car auctioneer BCA Marketplace, as the WeBuyAnyCar. com owner posted a jump in full-year revenue and profit.
Abbvie snaps up Botox-maker Allergan in $63bn deal
Chicago-based biopharmaceutical company Abbvie snapped up Botox-maker Allergan for roughly $63bn on Tuesday, mostly in cash.
Crane refutes Circor's claims, insists its offer is 'best option' for shareholders
US industrial products group Crane has hit back at Circor after the control technology company said its unsolicited $45 a share bid was "low value" and "opportunistic".
Cap Gemini snaps up engineering and R&D specialist Altran in all-cash deal
French consultancy group Cap Gemini has inked a deal to buy rival Altran in a bid to build on the two firms' expertise and client base to create a world leader in digital transformation.
Deutsche Bank backs Vodafone as it reiterates 'buy' rating
Deutsche Bank has maintained its ‘buy’ rating for Vodafone, despite reducing its price target, arguing that headwinds are starting to ease for the mobile phone giant.
Eldorado and Caesars take a gamble on $17bn deal
Shares in Caesars Entertainment jumped in pre-market trading in the US, after it agreed to be acquired by rival casino operator Eldorado Resorts in a multi-billion dollar deal.
Circor rejects 'opportunistic' offer from Crane
US flow control technology company Circor International has unanimously rejected an unsolicited offer from Crane Co, dismissing it as "low-value" and "opportunistic".
Acacia Mining fires back at Barrick Gold over criticism
Acacia Mining has issued a detailed rebuttal of criticisms made by shareholder and potential suitor Barrick Gold, the latest salvo in an increasingly bitter dispute between the two miners.
SysGroup acquires Hub Network Services in £1.45m deal
Cloud hosting provider SysGroup acquired B2B managed services outfit Hub Network Services on Monday for £1. 45m on a cash-free/debt-free basis.
Morses Club acquires current account provider U Holdings
Doorstep lender Morses Club acquired digital current account provider U Holdings on Monday for up to £10. 8m.
Halma buys Australia's Ampac to expand in fire detection
Halma has agreed to buy Ampac Group, an Australian maker of fire detection systems, for A$135m (£74m) in cash.
Premier Technical Services shares rocket on Macquarie bid
Shares of Premier Technical Services surged on Thursday after it agreed to be bought by a subsidiary of Macquarie Group for £265. 3m in cash.
BCA Marketplace surges at it confirms advanced talks with TDR Capital
Shares in BCA Marketplace rocketed on Thursday after it confirmed it is in advanced discussions with private equity firm TDR Capital about a possible cash offer for the company.
Blue Prism to buy Thoughtonomy for up to £80m; posts rise in H1 revenue
Blue Prism said on Wednesday that it has agreed to buy cloud services company Thoughtonomy for up to £80m as it posted an 82% rise in first-half revenue.
Barrick Gold given extension on Acacia Mining offer
Barrick Gold has been given more time to either announce a firm offer for Acacia Mining or walk away.
Berenberg raises Acacia to 'hold' as Barrick deadline draws near
Analysts at Berenberg upgraded their recommendation for shares ofTanzania-focussed gold miner Acacia Mining from 'sell' to 'hold' on Tuesday, highlighting the potential to reap increased value even beyond its own forecasts.