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☆ Apollo to take Wagamama owner Restaurant Group private for $623 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Eva Mathews | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign of Wagamama restaurant is seen in London, Britain, October 5, 2020. Under the terms of the deal announced on Thursday, The Restaurant Group's (TRG) shareholders will get 65 pence in cash for each share held, a premium of about 34% to the stock's last closing price. Shares in the small cap constituent (.FTSC) jumped 37.1% to 66.5 pence, its highest percentage gain since April 2020. There has also been pressure from shareholders and activist investors Irenic Capital and Oasis Management in recent months to change management and improve profitability. Another analyst at Shore Capital said the offer price was "too low" given the company's efforts to improve margins and reduce leverage.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Ken Hanna, Benny's, Eva Mathews, Subhranshu Sahu, Elaine Hardcastle, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Apollo, Irenic Capital, Oasis Management, Cafe, Shore Capital, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, TRG, Cafe Rouge, Bengaluru

[1/2] Chairman Anthony Thomson (L) and Vice Chairman Vernon Hill pose with a dog outside the first branch of Metro Bank in Holborn in central London July 29, 2010. Metro declined to comment on Tuesday. A Starling spokesperson said the lender was making inroads into the big banks' market dominance. Metro is not the only smaller bank to have faced problems. One option is for smaller banks to gain scale through mergers and acquisitions.

Persons: Anthony Thomson, Vernon Hill, Toby Melville, John Cronin, Caius Capital, Monzo, Starling, We've, Morgan Stanley, Gary Greenwood, Rupak Ghose, Shore Capital's Greenwood, Ghose, Shawbrook, Jaime Gilinski, Dorita, Iain Withers, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Anousha Sakoui, Huw Jones, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Chiara Elisei, Alexander Smith Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Yorkshire, Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, Metro, Caius, Varde Partners, Finance, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, The Bank of England, Prudential, Authority, Shore Capital, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Shore, Financial, Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Holborn, London, Starling, Metro, Colombian

Persons: Anthony Thomson, Vernon Hill, Toby Melville, John Cronin, Caius Capital, Jaime Gilinski, Dorita, Gilinski, Monzo, Starling, We've, Morgan Stanley, Gary Greenwood, Rupak Ghose, Shore Capital's Greenwood, Ghose, Shawbrook, Iain Withers, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Anousha Sakoui, Huw Jones, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Chiara Elisei, Nelson Bocanegra, Alexander Smith, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Yorkshire, Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, Metro, Caius, Varde Partners, Harvard, Forbes, Finance, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, The Bank of England, Prudential, Authority, Shore Capital, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Shore, Financial, Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Holborn, London, BOGOTA, Starling, Colombian, Latin America, Metro, Bogota

☆ Metro Bank shares jump after deal to bolster finances
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Signage is seen outside of a Metro Bank in London, Britain, May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Metro Bank shares up as much as 26%Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski to take majority controlMetro backers face 'very painful rescue' - analystLONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Shares in Metro Bank (MTRO.L) jumped in early trading on Monday, after the embattled British lender struck a fundraising deal overnight to bolster its balance sheet following urgent weekend talks in the wake of volatile trading. Metro Bank shares were up 26% at 56.9 pence by 0800 GMT. As part of the deal, Metro has agreed to a capital raise comprising 150 million pounds of new equity and a 175-million-pound issuance of bail-in debt known as "MREL". Metro shares remain around 97% down from when it first listed on the London stock exchange in 2016 at 20 pounds a share.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Jaime Gilinski, Gary Greenwood, John Cronin, Iain Withers, Louise Heavens, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Metro, Shore Capital, Bank of England's Prudential, Authority, Lloyds, HSBC, Metro's, Spaldy Investments, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Metro Bank shares gain after deal to bolster finances
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Signage is seen outside of a Metro Bank in London, Britain, May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Shares in Metro Bank (MTRO.L) jumped in early trading on Monday, after the embattled British lender struck a fundraising deal overnight to bolster its balance sheet after urgent talks over the weekend following volatile trading. Metro announced a 325 million pound ($396 million) capital raise and 600 million pound debt refinancing on Sunday, in a deal that would hand majority shareholder control to its biggest investor, Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski. Metro Bank shares opened as much as 22% higher, and were last up 9% at 49.4 pence. ($1 = 0.8199 pounds)Reporting by Iain Withers; editing by Jason Neely and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Jaime Gilinski, Gary Greenwood, Iain Withers, Jason Neely, Louise Heavens Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Metro, Shore Capital, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

LONDON (AP) — Shares in the troubled British lender Metro Bank bounced back by a third on Friday on reports that it has been sounding out bigger rivals to buy a chunk of its assets. Sky News reported that advisers to the bank have contacted Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group among others. But it stressed that “no decision has been made on whether to proceed with any of these options." Gary Greenwood, an equity research analyst for Shore Capital Markets, suggested that the business could struggle to find backers for a potential fundraising exercise. Political Cartoons View All 1202 Images“Metro Bank has been struggling for a number of years to establish itself as a profitable and self-sustaining bank," he said.

Persons: Gary Greenwood Organizations: Metro Bank, Sky News, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, London Stock Exchange, Shore Capital Markets, Bank Locations: Britain

☆ Metro Bank plunges on talk of big fundraising to fix finances
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen outside of a Metro Bank in London, Britain, May 22, 2019. As of Wednesday's close, Metro Bank was valued at 87 million pounds. The fundraising could include more than 100 million pounds from selling shares to bolster capital, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Metro Bank recently brought in Morgan Stanley as adviser, the people said. Metro Bank is subject to higher capital requirements set by the regulator if unable to use its own models, a concern that has been weighing on the stock.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Gary Greenwood, Morgan Stanley, Danilo Masoni, Iain Withers, Sinead Cruise, Mark Potter Organizations: Metro Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Shore Capital, Bank of England's Prudential, Authority, Metro, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 billion in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. He also confirmed the 1.5 billion pound ($1.91 billion) share repurchase announced with its half-year results. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Tom Arseneault, Chloe Lemarie, Charles Woodburn, Yadarisa Shabong, Chandini, Susan Mathew, Subhranshu Sahu, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton Organizations: BAE Systems, Association of, United States Army, Global, REUTERS, Ball Corp, Jefferies, Reuters, Blackstone Inc, Veritas Capital Fund Management, BAE, General Dynamics Corp, Textron, Shore Capital, Britain's, British, Thomson Locations: Huntsville , Alabama, U.S, Ukraine, Colorado, Bengaluru

☆ BAE snaps up Ball's aerospace arm for $5.6 bln in its biggest deal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People gather at the BAE Systems' booth during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium & Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. March 28, 2023. The war in Ukraine has led to new demand for those in munitions supply chains, Tom Arseneault, head of BAE's U.S. business, told analysts. Shares in BAE Systems fell as much as 4.9%, while Ball Corp rose 2.7% in premarket trading. "We see this deal as a good fit, although slightly expensive," Jefferies analysts led by Chloe Lemarie wrote in a note. The Colorado-based aerospace business made $1.98 billion in revenue and accounted for 13% of Ball's consolidated net sales in 2022.

☆ Britain's M&S raises profit outlook after strong trading
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A Marks and Spencer logo is seen on an advertisement outside of a store in London, Britain, May 23, 2018. The 139-year old group, whose shares have risen 66% so far this year, said it now expected profit growth in its full 2023-24 year, having previously forecast a small decline. Clothing group Next (NXT.L) upgraded its profit forecast earlier this month, lifting it for the second time in three months. M&S said in the first 19 weeks of the year like-for-like food sales grew over 11%, while clothing & home sales were up over 6% on the same basis. Clive Black at Shore Capital, the house broker, said sentiment around M&S had taken a long time to improve after other turnarounds failed to materialise, but he lifted his profit outlook by 9%.

Persons: Marks, Spencer, Toby Melville, Stuart Machin, Clive Black, James Davey, Yadarisa, Rashmi Aich, Kate Holton, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Marks, Shore Capital, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ Ocado jumps on return to first-half underlying profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The group swung to a profit for the six months to May 28, posting core earnings (EBITDA) of 16.6 million pounds ($21.7 million), ahead of a consensus forecast for a loss of 16 million pounds, and reversing a loss of 13.6 million pounds in the year-earlier period. Ocado (OCDO.L) said its Technology Solutions division made a profit for the first time, while its Ocado Retail business, the online supermarket joint venture it operates with Marks & Spencer (MKS.L), returned to profit in the second quarter. Shore Capital analyst Clive Black, a long term Ocado sceptic, focused on Ocado's losses at the pretax level, which widened to 289.5 million pounds. It maintained its guidance for Technology Solutions to deliver "positive" EBITDA over the full 2022-23 year, with Ocado Retail making "marginally positive" EBITDA, and its UK Logistics unit making "stable" EBITDA. The group's shares soared much as 47% on June 22 after the Times newspaper reported possible takeover interest from more than one U.S. suitor including Amazon (AMZN.O).

Persons: Spencer, Jefferies, Goldman Sachs, Tim Steiner, Ocado, Clive Black, Steiner, James Davey, Kate Holton, Jason Neely, Mike Harrison Organizations: Technology Solutions, Marks, Kroger, Casino, Shore Capital, Ocado, UK Logistics, Times, Thomson Locations: Ocado, United States, Japan, France, U.S

☆ UK supermarket Asda freezes prices of 500 products
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set a 2023 target to halve overall inflation but the goal has been undermined as inflation has remained stubbornly high, particularly food inflation. Overall UK consumer price inflation ran at 8.7% in April, the most recent official data showed, while food and drink inflation was 19.1%, just below a 46-year high. Food retailers have said they expect prices to rise in 2023 overall but with the rate of inflation declining through the year. Last week the French government secured a pledge from 75 top food companies to cut prices on hundreds of products. Last month, British finance minister Jeremy Hunt met food manufacturers to raise concerns about the surge in food prices, but no formal price controls were proposed.

Persons: cornflakes, Rishi Sunak, Clive Black, Jeremy Hunt, Kantar, James Davey, Sarah Young, Mark Potter Organizations: Grocers, Asda, Tesco, Foods, Waitrose, Shore Capital, Thomson

☆ This married real-estate investing couple bought their first house by accident. Now they've built a $19 million 47-unit portfolio over the last 8 years by chasing the 'bread and butter' of multi-famil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Over the past decade, they've grown their real estate portfolio to 47 units worth $19 million. Both had also had real estate ambitions prior to meeting. According to Simpson, the best way to source deals is also the most obvious — by having a good relationship with real estate brokers. If they intend to sell a property, Simpson and Moore generally only make improvements to between 60% to 65% of the units. In the future, the couple's long-term goals include continuing to grow their real estate portfolio, expanding their coaching business, and eventually handing their own investments full-time.

☆ After Christmas relief UK retailers face 2023 reality check
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ahead of Christmas, European retailers fretted that the key trading period could be the worst in at least a decade. Next, often acclaimed as a bellwether for the UK consumer economy, said it expected sales and profit to fall in 2023. The strain on Britons' household budgets is likely to begin to tell this month as Christmas credit card bills arrive. UK consumers will this year face persistent inflation in essential goods, particularly food and energy. M&S's apparel business will likely have benefited from Britain's severe cold snap in December which Next said dramatically boosted sales.

☆ A married couple with a 47-unit real estate portfolio worth $19 million explain why the housing market is setting investors up for 'significant opportunities' in 2023 — and the top regions to buy in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Kenny Simpson and Krystle Moore have amassed a $19 million, 47-unit real estate portfolio. With a recession on the horizon, inflation remaining at decades-high levels, and rapidly climbing interest rates, the future of the real estate market heading into 2023 seems bleak. "I think the general theme of 2023 is going to be significant opportunities for people in real estate," Moore told Insider in a recent interview. A Fed pivot will also help stimulate the real estate market since the industry is highly sensitive to rates, boosting jobs in construction and lending. Finding emerging markets can be a goldmine for real estate investors, since these areas are oftentimes cheaper than their more established counterparts.

HONG KONG, Dec 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hong Kong’s bankers and officials fantasise about the moment China finally ditches its Covid-19 restrictions. Mainland Chinese firms account for eight of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing’s (0388.HK) ten largest ever IPOs. It remains faster for Chinese companies to list in Hong Kong, rather than join the long queue on the mainland. Hong Kong could also host more offerings from places like the Middle East and Southeast Asia, as Cha envisions. IPOs on the Hong Kong exchange have raised $7.1 billion so far in 2022, according to Refinitiv data for the year up to Dec. 7.

But it's much higher compared to the U.S. companies' issuance of $17.3 billion and Europe's $16.4 billion so far. Internally, China has a lower inflation environment and loosening monetary policy, equity market valuation is more resilient," said Mandy Zhu, head of China Global Banking - UBS. OVERSEAS LISTINGS DROPHowever, Chinese companies' listings overseas have dropped sharply this year. The data showed that IPO issuances on the mainland fell just 11%, while Chinese listings in U.S. and Europe slumped 97% and 81%, respectively. She added that a recovery in the U.S. market listings will take a longer time, given the uncertainty over U.S.-China relations.

Of the 11 charges, Holmes was acquitted on all that related to defrauding patients and one count of conspiracy. In total, Holmes was found guilty of defrauding investors of nearly $145 million. Federal prosecutors have said Holmes duped investors into supporting a product she knew was faulty, particularly as Theranos began to teeter on bankruptcy. Balwani, who faces his own charges and a separate trial, did not speak at Holmes' trial. Defense attorney Kevin Downey asked Holmes to recount the early days of Theranos, as she sought advisers through the Stanford community, developed a business plan, attracted investment and — she thought — “nailed” expectations.

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