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☆ An $18 million Ferrari leads record classic-car auction at Amelia Island. See all 10 top sellers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wealthy car collectors spent a record amount at the classic-car auctions at Amelia Island over the weekend, suggesting the market remains strong despite recession fears and falling stocks. Total sales at the Amelia Island auction reached $178.4 million — a record for the event, topping the 2016 record of $140 million, according to classic-car insurance and events company Hagerty. Over 390 cars sold, at an average price of $455,293, up from $435,939. The most expensive car sold at Amelia Island was a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, sold at Gooding & Company for $18 million — setting a record for a car sold at the Amelia Island auctions. Here are the top 10 cars sold by value at the Amelia Island auctions, according to Hagerty.

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HOUSTON, March 6 (Reuters) - Guyana's coming auction of offshore oil exploration blocks has lured at least 10 companies including Shell, Petrobras and Chevron, to consider the decade's hottest oil region, people close to the matter said. Guyana also has begun direct negotiations on the 14 blocks and other areas with governments that have state-controlled oil companies. The proposed rules will nearly double the government's take from oil production to 27.5% of royalties and profit oil, plus a new 10% corporate tax, compared to Exxon's main contract. "We believe it is asymmetric now, and a bit in favor of the companies," Jagdeo said. The Exxon group can use 75% of the oil production to offset a variety of costs, including construction of its new Guyana headquarters.

☆ Telecom Italia boosted by rival offer for landline grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TIM is betting on a sale of its most prized asset to cut its 25 billion euros debt pile and fund an overhaul of the revenue-starved group. Both offers value TIM's grid, which is Italy's main piece of telecoms infrastructure, in the region of 18 billion euros ($19.2 billion), sources familiar with the matter said. "The news is positive for TIM as a second approach increases its bargaining power," broker Equita wrote in a research note. The shares were up around 3.5% at 0.32 euros at 0900 GMT, levels not seen since last April. Regulation issues remain a hurdle for the new bidders, as CDP and Macquarie own TIM'smaller rival Open Fiber.

☆ Goldman Sachs arm among bidders in possible $10 bln Subway sale, Sky News says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 4 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc's (GS.N) asset management arm is among the suitors for the U.S. based sandwich chain Subway, which has been put up for sale with an estimated $10 billion price tag, Sky News reported on Saturday. Bain Capital, TPG and TDR Capital are also among the other suitors, the report added. Subway, Bain Capital and TDR did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The sandwich chain last month said it was exploring a possible sale of its business due to surging costs and mounting competition from deeper-pocketed rivals. The Wall Street Journal in January said a potential sale could value Subway at more than $10 billion.

☆ Goldman Sachs arm among bidders for $10 bln Subway sale - Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 4 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N)'s asset management arm, is among the suitors for the U.S. based sandwhich chain Subway, which has been put up for sale with an estimated $10 billion price tag, Sky News reported on Saturday. Bain Capital, TPG and TDR Capital are also among the other suitors, the report added. Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Aster DM Healthcare shortlists two bidders for stake in Gulf business -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, March 3 (Reuters) - Dubai-based Aster DM Healthcare (ATRD.NS) is looking to sell a majority stake in its Gulf-based business and has short-listed buyers for the sale, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Aster, which operates hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in the Gulf and India, is looking to sell a stake of more than 50% in its business in the region, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is not public. Private equity firm Fajr Capital and Dubai financial services firm Gulf Islamic Investments have been shortlisted in the process, the sources said. Fajr declined to comment, while Gulf Islamic Investments did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by Reuters on Friday. Mumbai-listed Aster began a sales process at the end of last year to demerge the Gulf business to help investors and analysts better understand the company, one of the sources said.

Leonard Green is also considering the sale of a minority stake in Pro Mach as an alternative to an outright sale, one of the sources said. That would preserve Pro Mach's debt structure and would not require bidders to secure leveraged buyout financing, the source added. Leonard Green and Pro Mach did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Leonard Green bought Pro Mach from buyout firm AEA Investors LP for about $2.2 billion, including debt, in 2018. Moody's said in December that Pro Mach's order book indicated "healthy demand" for its products despite concerns of slowing economic growth.

☆ Manchester United stock sinks 13.5% on a report that it's probably worth billions less than what its owners want to sell it for
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Manchester United stock fell as mush as 13.5% after a report suggested that it's worth billions less than the club's owners are seeking. A Financial Times analysis indicated that United's value is likely to be around $1.6 billion. The club's owners, the Glazer family, reportedly want at least $6 billion, per The Athletic. But an analysis by the Financial Times suggested the team's value is much lower — likely around $1.6 billion. The $1.6 billion valuation may ignore the intrinsic value of owning one of the sport's most notable franchises and brands as well.

☆ Cineworld gets no offer for whole company, warns on shareholders' equity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Yadarisa Shabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It said it had received initial proposals from a number of counterparties but none offered an all-cash bid for the entire company. Cineworld said talks with certain stakeholders about a possible plan of reorganisation were ongoing in parallel with a potential sale of assets, but neither path would see shareholders recover their equity interest. Cineworld had a net debt of $8.81 billion as of June 30, 2022, including lease liabilities, while its cash reserves had dwindled to $131 million. Larger rival AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC.N) in December had said its talks to buy some theatres owned by Cineworld had fallen through. Sky News reported earlier this month that London-based cinema operator Vue International, with support from two funds, would be among the bidders for Cineworld.

☆ INEOS Quattro to raise 750 mln euros from loans, pay dividend
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Chiara Elisei | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Chemicals company INEOS Quattro is planning to raise 750 million euros ($794 million) from the sale of two loans, according to a lead manager memo seen by Reuters on Friday. The seven-year financing - which comprises a euro loan and a minimum $400 million loan - will fund a dividend payment and the rest will be used for general corporate purposes, the memo said. INEOS Quattro is owned by global chemical company INEOS, which is among the bidders for Manchester United. INEOS wants to fund an offer without external financing, but could consider bringing in a minority equity partner, Reuters reported earlier this week, citing a source. JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank are leading the new loan sale for INEOS Quattro, according to the memo.

NEW DELHI/BERLIN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Germany will pursue a $5.2 billion deal with India to jointly build six conventional submarines in the country during Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Feb. 25-26 visit, two Indian and two German sources said. Under the deal, a foreign submarine manufacturer will have to partner with an Indian company to build the submarines in India. The Indian foreign and defence ministries did not respond to requests for comment. An Indian diplomatic source told Reuters that India has asked Germany for an assurance for joint manufacturing for the submarines, not just supply-side support. Another official from the Indian foreign ministry said that “Scholz was determined to reinvigorate trade and defence ties with India”.

☆ Cineworld shares dive on reports of no bidders for UK, U.S. assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Shares of Cineworld (CINE.L) slumped as much as 22% on Wednesday after media reports said the world's second-largest cinema operator had received 40 non-binding bids, but none for its UK and U.S. assets or nearing its $6 billion secured debt load. When requested by Reuters, Cineworld did not immediately confirm details of the update it provided to the court. The reports also said the company was proposing an April 10 deadline for final bids, with an auction, if necessary, to follow on April 17. A vote on restructuring has been set for May 21, with a court confirmation hearing tentatively set for May 30. Last month, Bloomberg News reported that Cineworld has shuttered 23 theatre sites since filing for bankruptcy protection and was planning more closures.

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Buyout financier Ares Management Corp (ARES.N) has been offering funds to support a takeover of Manchester United (MANU.N), three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. It is the latest U.S. asset manager to seek a financing role in the battle for the English soccer club. It was unclear whether Ares has been looking to finance bids for Manchester United through that fund, which has already invested in Spain's Atletico de Madrid soccer club and Inter Miami CF, or another vehicle. Last Friday, Manchester United received indicative offers from bidders including chemicals firm INEOS, led by long-time fan Jim Ratcliffe, and Qatari Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani. INEOS wants to fund an offer without external financing, but could consider bringing in a minority equity partner, one source said.

☆ Florida Great Displacement: Climate Change Forces Residents to Leave State
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Jake Bittle | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The Keys are also the first flock of canaries in the coal mine of climate change. The hurricane made undeniable what previous floods had only suggested: that climate change will someday make life in the archipelago impossible to sustain. The decision to leave, on the other hand, which once signified surrender, now looks more like acceptance of the inevitable. It's this messiness that is reflected in the word "displacement": the migratory shifts caused by climate change are as chaotic as the weather events that cause them. This is an excerpt adapted from THE GREAT DISPLACEMENT: Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jake Bittle.

☆ Manchester United Begins Sifting Through Numerous Bids for Club
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Joshua Robinson | Ben Dummett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Manchester United has received two public offers and several more private proposals. Three months after announcing that they were open to selling one of the most prized assets in sports, the Glazer family received a set of preliminary bids for soccer giant Manchester United before a deadline on Friday evening. Though two were made public by the bidders, several more offers poured in for both partial stakes in the club and to acquire the team outright, according to a person familiar with the process. United itself hasn’t commented on the sale process since the initial deadline on Friday, and the valuations of the bids aren’t known. The multiple offers—including one from the chairman of a Qatar bank and the other from a British billionaire—could put the Glazers in a position to capitalize on a hot market that has recently pushed the valuation of top sports properties to new record highs.

☆ U.S. Hedge Fund Elliott to offer financing for Manchester United takeover bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Peter Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S.-based hedge fund giant Elliott Investment Management is planning to offer financing for a bid to take over Manchester United Plc (MANU.N), sources close to the matter told Reuters. The fund has ruled itself out of a full takeover of the Premier League soccer club, the source added on Saturday. It is unclear at this stage which bid Elliott, who owned Serie A champions AC Milan until last year, will be involved in. Elliott and United both declined to comment when approached by Reuters. British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, a life-long United fan, and his company INEOS lodged an offer for a "majority ownership" of the club on Saturday.

☆ Vince McMahon reportedly wants at least $9 billion for potential sale of WWE
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ex-WWE CEO Vince McMahon reportedly wants at least $9 billion for the company, according to Bloomberg. He has been considering a sale since his return, and several bids reportedly have been submitted. Days after McMahon's return, WWE also announced that Stephanie McMahon was resigning as co-CEO, and Khan would serve as the lone CEO going forward. Last month, Khan said reports that a sale to the Saudi Arabian fund was complete in principle "totally false." McMahon's desired $9 billion is a high ask considering the company reported $1.29 billion in sales last year, and the $9 billion price tag is about 23 times the company's operating income, according to Bloomberg.

☆ Soccer’s new M&A binge will mostly benefit players
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Streisand Neto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Qatari consortium is set to make a $6 billion offer for Man Utd, home to stars including Marcus Rashford, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The Financial Times reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is preparing a $3.8 billion swoop on Harry Kane’s Tottenham Hotspur. The Qataris’ reported Man Utd offer of $6 billion would value the New York-listed club at 8.6 times trailing revenue. Man Utd, whose financial advisers are U.S. investment bank Raine Group, has set an initial Feb. 17 deadline for bids. The Financial Times on Feb. 15 reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi was preparing a $3.8 billion offer for Tottenham Hotspur.

☆ Standard Chartered CEO says the bank has not engaged with prospective bidders
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailStandard Chartered CEO says the bank has not engaged with prospective biddersBill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered, speak to CNBC's Geoff Cutmore and Karen Tso following the global bank's earnings.

☆ StanChart’s takeover defences are getting stronger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

This year, he reckons the bank will churn out a near-10% return, rising to more than 11% in 2024. But if Winters can convince investors his new targets are remotely plausible, he’ll have a stronger case for StanChart’s independence. A typical offer pitched 30% above the price before the latest takeover speculation would value StanChart at just three-quarters of forward tangible book value. StanChart’s stronger takeover defences may be a problem for its suitors. StanChart earned an 8% return on tangible equity (ROTE), excluding restructuring expenses and a writedown of goodwill on the bank’s balance sheet.

☆ Netflix exec reveals sports ambitions and what's next for live sports as golf series 'Full Swing' debuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Formula 1 racing saw a boost in TV viewership and fandom since Netflix began streaming docuseries "Drive to Survive." Amid a boom in sports docs, the streamer has tennis series "Break Point" and golf-centered "Full Swing." Netflix unscripted TV head Brandon Riegg spoke to Insider about the streamer's ambitions in live sports. "I wouldn't be surprised," Netflix VP of unscripted and docuseries Brandon Riegg told Insider ahead of the "Break Point" premiere. Also in the works are series on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Six Nations rugby tournament.

☆ Hong Kong: National security warning now a part of land sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong real estate is the most expensive in the world, but it wasn’t eye watering prices that took investors by surprise this week. Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly claimed the law has restored order and stability after the city’s 2019 anti-government, pro-democracy protests. Lee said the legal provision is “an obvious thing” for Hong Kong to add to safeguard national security. “Safeguarding national security is the shared responsibility of the entire Hong Kong society,” it said. Developers and investors bidding on land sales are not normally involved in activities that violate the national security law, she said.

☆ Rothschild holdouts have little chance of a bump
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The dynasty behind famed investment bank Rothschild & Co (ROTH.PA) has sided with France’s business elite to buy out minority investors on the cheap. Any potential holdouts, though, have little hope. If they miss that threshold, the Rothschild family can keep whatever shares they get. That means they could just try the whole thing again next year – but starting from a higher ownership base. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Hong Kong adds security law clauses to land sales, property stocks drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Safeguarding national security is the shared responsibility by the entire Hong Kong society," the Development Bureau told Reuters, confirming the media report. Hong Kong Economic Times reported that Hong Kong authorities began to include applicable provisions of the National Security Law in the terms of land sales and short-term leases in the Asia financial hub. That sent Hong Kong property stocks index (.HSNP) down as much as 4.9% to the lowest in six weeks, compared to a 0.1% slip in the benchmark Hang Seng Index (.HSI). "It suggests that developers will be even more cautious in putting a bid in land sale," said Steven Leung, a sales director at UOB Kay Hian. Hong Kong and Chinese authorities say it is necessary to restore stability after anti-government protests in 2019.

☆ NBC Sports hopes to make an aggressive bid to bring back the NBA, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Discovery own the NBA rights until the end of the 2024-2025 season — more than two more years from now. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. NBC aired its last NBA games during the 2002 finals, when the Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets. Regular season NBA games across ABC, ESPN and TNT are averaging 1.6 million viewers this season.

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